Leonard Pegues

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Position:
LB
Ht./Wt.:
5-11 / 225
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Olive Branch, MS
Prev School:
Olive Branch HS

At Memphis: Appeared in 49 career games with nine starts ... Missed just one career game in four years at Memphis, missing the season opener against Missouri State in 2015 ... Finished with 146 career tackles, including 105 solos and 14.5 tackles for loss ... Had three sacks and one interception over his Memphis career, adding three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery ... His one fumble recovery came in his last career game at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, facing SMU and recovering a fumble and returning it 26 yards for his first career touchdown.

2015 (Senior): Had eight tackles in the road win at Bowling Green ... Posted his first interception of the season in the win over Cincinnati ... Had seven tackles, including five solos, adding a tackle for loss in the win at USF ... Against Ole Miss, had three tackles in the win over the #12 ranked Rebels ... Had eight tackles in the Navy game, including six solos and one tackle for loss in Memphis' first-ever matchup with the Midshipmen ... Had a career-best 12 tackles in the game at Houston, including nine solos ... Added another double-digit tackle game at the road at Temple, finishing with 11 tackles, including four solos ... Against SMU, finished with five solo tackles and three tackles for 11 yards lost ... Forced a fumble and recovered a fumble for a 26 yard touchdown, his first career TD ... Also credited with a quarterback hurry ... Had double-digit tackles in three of his last four career games, finishing with 11 tackles in the Birmingham Bowl, including seven solos.

2014 (Junior): While playing off the bench in all 13 of the Tigers’ games during an American Athletic Conference title season, notched 34 total tackles including six for lost yardage (-40 yards) and two quarterback sacks (-25 yards) … Also credited with two quarterback hurries and forced a fumble during the season … Member of defensive unit which ranked 11th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 19.5 points per game … Memphis was eighth in pass efficiency defense (106.31) and ranked 19th nationally against the run (121.5 ypg) … Memphis’ Red Zone Defense was third-best in FCS Football (.688) One of two tackles in the Tigers’ season opener against Austin Peay was for a loss of 10 yards … Recorded a career-high eight tackles in Memphis’ game at No. 11 UCLA including three solo stops on one series … Also had two tackles on special teams against the Bruins – one on a punt return and the other on a kickoff return … Part of a special teams’ group which ranked 17th nationally in kickoff return defense (18.12 yp return) and fourth in punt return defense (2.77 yp return) … Had four tackles against Middle Tennessee including two on the Blue Raiders final offensive series of the first half as Memphis held on to a 19-7 lead at the break … Lone tackle in win over Cincinnati came early in the second quarter on a short, second-down pass completion and the Bearcats would have to punt two plays later … With no score midway through the first quarter of the SMU game, had one of his four tackles along with a quarterback hurry come on one offensive series against the Mustangs … Also had a tackle for a seven-yard loss against the Mustangs … With the Tigers tied with Temple 10-10 late in the first half, sacked the Owls’ quarterback for a 15-yard loss … Temple had the ball at midfield on the play but was forced to punt following the sack which came with 34 seconds to play in the half … Early in the Tulane game forced a fumble teammate Latarius Brady recovered at the Memphis 35 to stop the Green Wave on its best starting field position after the Tigers had fumbled on the prior play from scrimmage … Also had four tackles in the Tulane win … One of four tackles in the USF game came with the Bulls facing a third-and-goal from the Memphis six … The tackle for a short gain was followed by an incomplete pass, forcing USF to kick a field goal early in the game … With Memphis leading 21-13 had a quarterback hurry on third down and four to force an incomplete punt as the Bulls had to punt on its first offensive series of the second half.

2013 (Sophomore): Notched 23 total tackles including 19 unassisted stops during sophomore season ... Entered sophomore season with a previous career tackle high-water mark of three stops in two games as a rookie ... Equaled that mark in the opener against Duke (two solos, one assist) and also forced a fumble the Tigers recovered at the end of a 50-yard Memphis punt ... Lone tackle against Arkansas State was for a five-yard loss ... The TFL against A-State came on the final play of the third quarter and the first-down loss of yardage would ultimately lead to the Red Wolves punting three plays later ... Closed out the year with 15 tackles spread over the last four American Athletic Conference games of the year ... Had four solo tackles in road win over USF ... Equaled the four-tackle effort against Temple ... Closed out the year with a career-high five tackles, all solo stops, against UConn.

2012 (Freshman) Played in all 12 games as a true freshman, recording 13 total tackles (six solo stops and s:even assists) ... Tied for third on the team in special teams tackles with five to go along with being credited for two exceptional plays ... First career tackles came the third week of the season, registering a pair of unassisted stops against Middle Tennessee ... Also had two tackles at Duke ... Set a new career standard with three tackles at East Carolina ... Among his career-high equaling three tackles at UAB was a half tackle for a three-yard loss.

At Olive Branch High School: Played linebacker for Coach Scott Samsel at Olive Branch High School ... Registered 146 tackles as a senior ... Led the Conquistadors to a 17-0 record and the Mississippi High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Class 6A state championship in 2011 ... Logged 10 or more tackles in nine games, including six of the first seven contest senior year ... Made 16 tackles against Southaven ... Credited with 17 tackles against Northwest Rankin and followed that with 18 stops vs. Madison Central a week later ... Tallied four interceptions and one fumble recovery and scored two defensive TD in 2011 ... Participated in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic ... Posted 87 tackles, including 67 solo stops, as a junior ... Credited with double-digit tackles twice in 2010 ... Opened season with 13 tackles against East and later tallied 12 stops vs. Starkville ... Hauled in an interception against Horn Lake ... Forced a fumble and tallied a fumble recovery against Tupelo ... Also logged a fumble recovery against South Panola ... Helped squad to an 8-5 record in 2010.

Personal: Son of Leonard Pegues and Angela Gissespie-Pegues ... Born June 9, 1994 in Memphis ... Majoring in Sport and Leisure Management.