leonard marshall

Leonard Marshall, born on October 22, 1961, in Franklin, Louisiana, established a distinguished career in the National Football League (NFL) as a defensive lineman. He played college football at Louisiana State University (LSU) from 1979 to 1982, where he recorded 180 tackles and 5 sacks. During his senior year, he was named LSU’s defensive Most Valuable Player. Marshall then graduated from LSU with a degree in Business Administration and was later inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame in 2008.

Marshall was drafted 37th overall by the New York Giants in the 1983 NFL Draft. He spent ten seasons with the Giants, where he accumulated 79.5 sacks, becoming third in team history. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and was named NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year following the 1985 and 1986 seasons. Marshall earned two Super Bowl rings with the Giants, recording three and a half sacks across two Super Bowl appearances. A notable career moment occurred in the 1991 NFC Championship Game where his hit on Joe Montana resulted in Montana’s exit from the game. After his tenure with the Giants, Marshall played one season each for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins before retiring from professional football at the age of 33.

Post-retirement, Marshall has been involved in several business and entrepreneurial ventures. He also dedicated time to teaching as a football camp instructor and a head coach at Hudson Catholic Regional High School. From 1985 to 1991, he was a radio broadcaster and made multiple appearances on The Howard Stern Show. In 2013, Marshall was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to head trauma. Since his diagnosis, he has become a vocal advocate for CTE awareness and player safety, contributing to the Concussion Legacy Foundation and establishing the Game Plan Foundation to support athletes with neurological disorders. He is an Outside Advisor at Rockefeller Capital Management.