Frank Reich Makes DPOY Case For Colts Star LB Darius Leonard

When it comes to winning the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award, typically an individual defender has to create a number of splash players throughout the season and take over games when his team needs it the most.

Knowing that, why isn't Indianapolis Colts' star linebacker Darius Leonard getting more buzz for the league award, considering he has forced 11 turnovers in 14 games?

That remains a mystery not only to Leonard himself, but Colts' head coach Frank Reich, who addressed Leonard's path to the league's DPOY award Tuesday to reporters, according to video via Colts.com.

“He absolutely has a path to that award. When you’re creating that amount of turnovers and having the production that you’re having as far as tackles and big plays, you can’t argue with that," Reich said. "The turnover thing is just freakish. If he continues at that pace these last couple games and with the production that he has as far as tackles and the leader that he is and the impact on how he raises the level of our whole team, I would just be absolutely surprised if he wasn’t at the front of that race.”

It's an incredibly fair assessment from Reich, who will always have the backing of his own players.

Leonard finds himself up against the likes of Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt, Cleveland's Myles Garrett, and Dallas Cowboys' rookie Micah Parsons for the league award. While Watt is on pace to break the league's all-time single-season sacks record and Parsons is better than even draftniks could imagine, Leonard — week after week — is forcing turnovers, making key plays for the Colts' defense, helping lead the club on a hot run of late, winning five of their last six games to put them firmly in the AFC playoff picture.

Six forced fumbles and three interceptions through 14 games is remarkable and has Reich reaching far into his bag as a coach in the NFL to praise his fourth-year linebacker, calling "The Maniac" the best linebacker he's ever coached.

"I played with a lot of great players and coached on teams that had a lot of great linebackers. Maybe some are – it’s hard to say who’s best, but as far as turning the ball over and just raw playmaking ability, big-play ability. Darius (Leonard) is the best I’ve been around," Reich said. "He just has that knack. He just has a knack to make big plays, to be in the right place at the right time. You just know it’s not coincidence. You know it’s a special talent that he has, that he’s cultivated, that he works on, and he just continues to back it up year after year. This is Year Four. This isn’t just a one-year flash, this is Year Four of him doing the same thing over and over and over again.”

Even with it being Year Four for Leonard, the national respect and attention still isn't quite there. That's alright though, especially with teammates like DeForest Buckner — an elite defensive tackle in his own right — knowing just how good Leonard is, and how important he is to the success of the Colts as a team.

"It’s insane. When you talk about Darius (Leonard), he’s elite. He is elite at his position," Buckner said to reporters Tuesday, according to video via Colts.com. "He is the best linebacker in the game. Like you said, he’s a turnover machine. You can count on him every game to at least knock a ball out, get a pick, whatever it is. He’s going to end up with one takeaway. It’s insane to think that he has, what? 12? Forced or recovered, whatever you want to call it. He’s been a part of 12 of them for our team and we have 31? That’s ridiculous. Just seeing the work that he puts in. The passion and love he has for the game each and every day he takes it out on the field and gives everybody his all. That’s all you can ask for as a teammate, for your teammate to give it their all. That’s what he does every single time we strap up and get between those lines.”

At some point, the work he's putting in and the production he's churning out between the lines has to be taken into consideration. Will that finally occur this season with Leonard earning his first DPOY award from the NFL?

That remains to be seen, but he's certainly making a strong case for it overall.

Have thoughts on Darius Leonard's case for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award? Drop a line in the comment section below letting us know how you feel!

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