![]() ![]() The whole “he is Pettine’s protege” argument just isn’t the case. In fact, before being hired as the Packers defensive coordinator, he had only called the defensive calls just once. In fact, it was Ryan who coordinated the Jets defenses that had success, not Pettine. However, if you look back to Pettine’s time with Ryan, he wasn’t the one that called the defenses. Meaning that because of that, he would bring the same ideas that Pettine brought to the Packers defense. Most believe that it was Pettine who Leonhard learned under. They did so because Pettine served as the Jets defensive coordinator the same time Leonhard was there. When news broke that Leonhard would be interviewing for the defensive coordinator, many started to lump him in with Pettine. From 2009-2011, he was a safety for the Jets whose head coach was Ryan. In 2008, he played under Ryan while Ryan was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. Out of his ten seasons in the NFL, Leonhard played four of them with Ryan. Those playing days that saw Leonhard register four and a half sacks, deflect 36 passes and pick off 14 passes. Ryan is the same person that Jim Leonhard learned from during his NFL playing days. That is what earned him head coaching jobs with the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills. Ryan made a name for himself as a defensive coach. Rex Ryan might not have been one of the most successful NFL head coaches, but he knew how to coordinate a defense. They also don’t understand the experience, as a 10 year NFL veteran, that Leonhard would bring to the job. Obviously, he and the rest of them haven’t watched a Badgers football game. One podcaster even compared the hype of Leonhard to the Packers to when the Packers had Jeff Janis on their roster. Many believe that the only reason Leonhard received an interview is because of his connection to the state. That style of defense and how Leonhard runs it is one of the reasons he has gotten the attention of LaFleur and the Packers.Ī lot of Packers podcasters and fans have been grumbling this week in regards to Leonhard getting an i nterview with the Packers. Leonhard runs an NFL style defense, one that Leonhard learned under former NFL head coach Rex Ryan. It isn’t just the impressive rankings that have grabbed the attention of the NFL. In 2017 they finished third, in 2018 they finished 35th, in 2019 10th, and in 2020 finished 10th once again. Under Leonhard, the Badgers defense has finished the season with impressive total defensive rankings.
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