Unlike other Big East and ACC teams who stopped recruiting him as a collegiate football player due to his injury, Rutgers then-coach Terry Shea honored his scholarship offer to the elder Leonard brother, and Nate Leonard came to Rutgers to play football.

During the opening game of the 2005 campaign in Urbana-Champaign against Illinois, he brought himself to the attention of sportscasters and pundits in the third quarter, taking a pitch from quarterback Ryan Hart on a 2nd down and 4 play from Rutgers's 17 yard line.

The play was named the top college football highlight of that season's opening weekend by ESPN.

Despite being acknowledged as a Heisman candidate, Leonard elected to take on a diminished role as a blocker and allow Ray Rice to become a star.

“It’s nice to get the reps, but it is tiring.”[9] Leonard ran for the Rams' first touchdown of the year against the Minnesota Vikings in preseason on August 10, 2007.

[10] He had his first 100-yard rushing game, typically a milestone among running backs, on October 7, 2007, at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

For example, on September 27 in a game against the defending Super Bowl Champions Pittsburgh Steelers, Leonard caught a pass from Carson Palmer on 4th down, converting for the first down with 31 seconds left, extending the eventual winning drive.

On December 27, he recorded an eight-yard reception in a 3rd-and-7 situation to keep what would eventually be the game-winning drive against the Kansas City Chiefs alive.

On April 1, 2013, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Leonard, reuniting him with his former head coach at Rutgers, Greg Schiano.

The annual camp is held at Sandstoner Park, in Potsdam, New York, which is close to Brian's hometown of Gouverneur.