Getty Bills running back Leonard Fournette at Raymond James Stadium on November 06, 2022.
The Buffalo Bills added a key depth piece to the backfield after signing Leonard Fournette to the practice squad on October 30.
While there was some initial concern over Fournette’s health, as the 28-year-old has yet to appear in a game this season, Fournette arrived in Buffalo in excellent shape.
The former No. 4 overall pick from the 2017 NFL draft was a free agent throughout the first eight weeks of the season, but he clearly kept a strict workout regimen.
The 6-foot, 228-pound running back wore tight running shorts to his first practice in Orchard Park, a photo of which quickly went viral on social media. While viewers couldn’t help but comment on his thick leg muscles, the picture also sparked debate over the massive tattoo on his thigh.
Bleacher Report posted the photo on their Instagram page and suggested the big face tattoo on his left leg was Alabama’s head coach Nick Saban. Considering Fournette famously chose to attend LSU over joining Saban’s Crimson Tide in 2014, getting the coach’s face tattooed on his leg would be an odd choice.
Several fans, however, guessed the tattoo portrayed a different famous face. One person commented, “Is that Saban or Lucky Luciano?” Another fan replied, “Definitely Lucky 😭😭😭.”
Charles “Lucky” Luciano, an infamous Italian mobster, was credited for helping create the modern American Mafia, according to The Mob Museum.
Leonard Fournette Has 2 Large Calf Tattoos Inspired By ‘A Bronx Tale’
Fournette has a thing for mobster tattoos on his legs, so putting Luciano’s face on his leg remains on theme. The veteran’s very large calves feature the faces of Robert DeNiro and Chazz Palminteri’s characters from the 1993 movie, A Bronx Tale.
Fournette confirmed to analyst Kyle Brandt on Good Morning Football in June that they were tattoos of fictional mobsters Sunny of Lorenzo.
Today’s Leonard Fournette discovery on @gmfb
I love this dude.
Any NFL player have better movie tattoos?
Brandt also confirmed to SI that Fournette has another famous movie character inked on his body. The running back has a tattoo of the character Chunk from the 1985 movie, Goonies.
While Fournette proudly showed off his tattoos in short shorts at practice on Wednesday, the veteran seems to be ready to invest in warmer clothing after relocating to Western New York. He posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on November 2, “No lie Buffalo colder than a penguin ass out here lord…”
Buffalo Signed Leonard Fournette After Placing RB Damien Harris on Injured Reserve
A tale of two days for Leonard Fournette. He’s added some layers today. 🥶 #BillsMafia
The Bills signed Fournette to the practice squad after losing running back Damien Harris to a neck injury. However, it’s hard to imagine that “Playoff Lenny” remains on the practice squad.
The veteran earned the nickname after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 448 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns in their postseason run to winning Super Bowl LV. Throughout his career, Fournette has recorded 4,478 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns on 1,132 carries. He also tallied 2,219 career receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
James Cook remains the Bills No. 1 running back. He ranks eighth in the NFL with 486 yards, per The Buffalo News. Latavius Murray has emerged as the team’s No. 2 back, but ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg pointed out his recent struggles.
“Murray has started the last three games for the Bills, but Cook has almost doubled his carries in those games (41 to 21) and overall has seen more snaps than Murray in the last three games (58% to 41%),” Getzenberg wrote. “Cook is also a receiving option for this offseason (18 receptions for 192 yards and a touchdown).
“This season, Murray has five goal-line carries, sixth-most in the NFL, but has only one touchdown, gaining a total of one yard on those plays. Fournette had four goal-line carries last season and three touchdowns on those plays.”
However, The Athletic suggested that Fournette is most likely to usurp Ty Johnson’s roster spot after the latter receives his league-minimum three weekly game checks.
“He will be eligible to be released without anything else owed and can subsequently sign back with the Bills’ practice squad if no other team tries to sign him. Johnson only contributed on special teams during the Patriots and Buccaneers games.”
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Photo of Bills RB Leonard Fournette’s Massive Thigh Tattoo Turns Heads