Raphael Leonard

Bio

Raphael Leonard
Wide Receivers Coach

Raphael Leonard joined the Itawamba Community College football coaching staff in 2025 as Wide Receivers Coach. He arrived in Fulton after a successful stint at East Mississippi Community College, where he coached the Lions’ receivers during the 2023 MACCC State Championship season and their run to the NJCAA National Championship game. That year, he guided Marcus Harris (first team All-MACCC) along with Cam Wright and Raymond Blackmon (both second team All-MACCC).

A Starkville native, Leonard was a state champion in both football and basketball at Starkville High School, earning all-state recognition at receiver and MVP honors of the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Game. He went on to play at East Mississippi Community College, winning the 2016 conference championship, before transferring to Southern Illinois University. At SIU, he was a standout wideout and earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors.

Leonard went on to play professionally after college. He signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2019 before joining the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks. He later continued his career in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Elks.

Leonard earned his bachelor’s degree in University Studies from Southern Illinois University in 2021.