Shawn Leo, West Chester University football team's placekicker

By: Sean Breen

West Chester University football place kicker Shawn Leo is currently in his final season as a Golden Ram, the senior graduating in December has left his mark on and off the field during his career. 

As a red shirt freshman, Leo who attended Souderton High School was given the opportunity to earn the starting place kicking job, and he has not disappointed.   In just his first year, he set the single season record for his accuracy making 9 out of 10 field goals (90%).   During the same season he tied a school record with three field goals made in a game against Shippensburg, a double overtime nationally televised game that the Rams ended up winning 44-43.  “The 48 yarder was early in the game and that was my career long, and then I came in with about 25 seconds left and kicked a 42 yard field goal to send it to overtime” Leo recalled humbly. 

Also during the same season, Leo was nominated and was a finalist for the Fred Mitchell Award.  This award recognizes the nation’s top place kickers from more than 750 football teams for their excellence on the gridiron and in the community.  Although he did not win, Leo was among 42 finalists and was 1 of 5 freshmen to be chosen.  As Leo succeeded on the field, he did not shy away from jumping at the opportunities to give back to the community.   He actively participated in The Relay for Life, Autism Walk and the Bone Marrow Donor program on campus.  Taking it upon himself he also volunteered at home.  “I also volunteered back home, I do some baseball and football camps at Souderton.  I help umpire and I work with the kickers at Lauren’s First and Goal camp which is up at Lafayette College”.  Leo said with a sense of candid satisfaction. 

The modest kicker did not stop there.  He continued to rewrite the record books in the 2011 campaign.  Leo was 15 of his 20 field goal attempts, breaking the record for most field goals in a single season.  That is not the only record he broke that season.  In the season opener against nationally ranked New Haven he set the school record by making four field goals in a single game.  Another season highlight was his astounding 80 total points which led the team in scoring.

The Souderton High School product continued to do what he did best in 2012, kick field goals and break school records.  Once again, Leo broke another record, of his 15 field goal attempts he converted 13 setting a new record for career field goals made of 37 breaking John Marotta’s record of 30 set in 1990. “I remember distinctly it was against Cheyney, Coach Zwaan actually pulled me from the game at halftime because we were up so much, and I wasn’t really planning on going in again but when he called field goal he told me to go back in, I think Coach knew I was close to the record” Leo said with a vibrant smile.  By the end of the 2012 season, he was also able to nab the record for highest career field goal percentage (82.2 percent). 

Thus far this season, with one regular season game remaining Leo has added 9 field goals to his record.  Leo has been a consistent player for the football team.  Some would say field goal kicking goes unnoticed.  The program has made sure that his effort has been recognized.  For three years in a row they have awarded him with the Bill Vansant Memorial Special Team Award for most outstanding special teams player. 

Learning to master the profession of kicking has taken many years of practice.  Leo did not start his football career until he was in 10^th grade.  He started to learn how to kick when he was in 7^th grade by his mentor and brother Jason Leo.  Shawn was a soccer player until 9^th grade which may be some sort of explanation for his strong leg.  His brother, Jason, would take time after his practice to teach his younger brother the fundamentals of kicking. “My brother taught me how to do everything, he would spend like 20 minutes with me and he basically taught me everything I know” Leo explained.   His brother Jason went on to have a solid kicking career at Lehigh University going 36 for 55 on field goal attempts.

Not every person would want the job of being a place kicker on a football team.  The job can be nerve racking at times, especially when the game is on the line.  Leo explained that consistency with form and approaching a kick the same each time is a key part to being a kicker.  “It’s all you gotta do, consistency, when you mess something up that’s when you miss, when you do something out of sync”. 

Leo graduates in December with an accounting degree and plans on pursuing a job as an accountant.  He is unsure as to whether or not he will attempt to try out for a professional football team, but did not exclude that as an option.