Rodney Leisle Class: RS Senior Hometown: Bakersfield, CA High School: Ridgeview Height / Weight: 6-3 / 294 Position: DT Birthdate: 02/05/1981

UCLA — This talented defensive tackle has the potential to be one of the top players in the nation at his position and is a candidate for post-season honors … Has 30 career starts … One of the strongest players on the team, he has been a fixture on the Bruin defensive line throughout his career … Rodney has the entire package … He is very athletic, plays with great pad leverage, has outstanding strength and is excellent with his hands … He is a tremendously hard worker who sets an example with his efforts on the practice field and in the games.

2002 — Named pre-season All-America second team by Street & Smith’s … Also on the pre-season Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year) list … Selected to the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award Watch lists … Appeared in nine games … Starter in the first five games of the season before breaking his right foot in the game at Oregon State … Had four tackles in the season-opener against Colorado State … Had five tackles in the win at Oklahoma State … Recorded three stops in the Colorado game … Had one tackle at San Diego State … Made his 28th straight start in the game at Oregon State … Credited with two tackles, including one for loss against the Beavers … Had surgery on Oct. 8 … Returned for the final three games of the season … Came off the bench against USC and made one tackle … Started against Washington State and New Mexico … Had one tackle against the Cougars and two versus the Lobos … On the year, despite constant double teaming prior to his injury, he made 19 stops.

2001 — As a redshirt sophomore, Leisle, a second-team All-Pac-10 selection by the league’s coaches and a first-team choice by The Sporting News, played like an All-American throughout the season … On the year, he made 36 tackles … He ranked fourth on the team with two sacks and tied for sixth with five for losses … He ranked second among the linemen and sixth (tied) overall with his 36 stops and has started 23 consecutive games stretching back to the 2000 opener … Was on the field for at least 40 snaps in nine games … Played a season-high 60 snaps versus Washington State … In the opener at Alabama he tied his career high with seven tackles (three solos and four assists) … Late in the third quarter with the Bruins leading 17-10, the Crimson Tide drove to the Bruin 33-yard line … Alabama then tried a reverse, but Leisle stripped the ball carrier and recovered the football to halt the drive … UCLA converted the turnover into a field goal … At Kansas, he again stuffed the middle and made two solo tackles, including one for loss … In the win over Ohio State, he added three tackles (two solos) and was credited with one solo tackle, an eight-yard sack, in the win at Oregon State … In the victory over Washington, Leisle made two tackles, including one sack and a second for loss … His sack caused a fumble at the Husky 32-yard line that set up UCLA’s first touchdown of the day … He added one assist in the win over California … Leisle made four solo stops at Stanford and four tackles (one solo) at Washington State … Against Oregon, he again was credited with four tackles (three solos), including one at the one-yard line … At USC, he tied his career best with seven tackles, including five solos … He added one solo tackle for loss versus Arizona State.

2000 — In his first season with the varsity, Leisle became the only defensive lineman to start all 12 games … He earned third-team Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News … He also earned All-Pacific-10 honorable mention from the league’s coaches … He played at least 50 snaps eight times during the season, including 74 versus Oregon State, 69 against Stanford and Washington and 65 at Oregon … On the year, Leisle ranked first among the Bruin linemen and eighth overall with 36 tackles, including four behind the line of scrimmage … He made a career-high seven tackles, including one for loss, against Oregon State … He added his first career interception in the final seconds at Arizona to clinch the victory and also recorded his first sack … Leisle made three stops at Washington and had four tackles and a fumble recovery against USC … He finished the year with three stops against Wisconsin in the Sun Bowl… He also made four tackles, including one for loss, against Fresno State and three stops versus Michigan.

1999 — Did not see action in his first year with the program and has one season of eligibility remaining … Named defensive winner of UCLA’s Charles Pike Memorial Award for Outstanding Scout Team Player.

HIGH SCHOOL — Lettered three years in football as a defensive and offensive lineman for coaches Bill Richardson and Steve Tucker at Ridgeview High in Bakersfield, CA … Rated the No. 53 player in the nation by RivalNet and by Tom Lemming (The Sporting News.com) … A SuperPrep All-American, he was ranked the nation’s No. 26 defensive lineman and the No. 29 player in the California/Arizona/Hawaii region … A PrepStar All-American who was rated the No. 4 defensive lineman in the Western Region … A Super 30 All-Western selection by PrepStar … Cornwell All-American … Ranked seventh (tied) among offensive guards by the National Recruiting Advisor … Member of Tacoma News-Tribune Western 100 … Member of Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West honorable mention (five votes) … First-team All-State selection by Cal-Hi Sports … Made 85 tackles (32 solos), including seven quarterback sacks … Selected to play in the annual California-Texas Shrine All-Star Game … Two-time All-League and All-Area selection … PrepStar pre-season All-American and Super 30 All-West selection as an offensive lineman … In SuperPrep’s pre-season issue, ranked No. 32 among all players in the California/Nevada/Hawaii region … Lettered four years in track (shot put and discus) for coach Brad Harris … Had best in shot of 58-11 1/2 and in discus of 170-8 … Finished fifth in the State in the shot in 1997 and fourth in the State in the shot in 1998 … Lettered two years in wrestling for coach Lee Ramos … Placed seventh in the State in 1997 as a heavyweight … Finished first in his league in both 1996 and 1997 … Lettered his senior season in basketball for coach Otis Jennings … Team finished second in the league and third in the Valley.

PERSONAL — Full Name: Rodney Allen Leisle … Born: February 5, 1981 in Fresno, CA … Parents: Dan and Kathy Howarth … Has two younger sisters — Jennifer and Angelica … Lists his biggest thrill in sports to date as getting a football scholarship after his team went 0-10 in his senior season … Hobbies include paint ball … Earned spot on Director’s Honor Roll in Winter 2001 (3.33 GPA)… Sociology major.

Varsity Statistics - R. Leisle
Tackles

Career Highs
Tackles: 7 vs. USC, 2001; vs. Alabama, 2001; vs. Oregon State, 2000