With just over 11 minutes to go in Super Bowl 58, and the San Francisco 49ers threatening to hit a crucial extra-point kick to increase their lead, Kansas City needed a stop. As the kick went up, Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal extended over the line and got a hand on the ball, sending it off course and keeping the game within reach. To many, this may have seemed like a miraculous play from a Special Teams guy, but to Chenal, this was nothing new.
Chenal has been making plays like these all his life. Hailing from Northwestern Wisconsin, he grew up in the town of Frederic, before transferring to nearby Grantsburg to play high school football. Leo, along with his brother and former UW-Badger John, made an immediate impact for the Grantsburg squad. In Leo’s senior year, he stepped up leading his hometown team on both offense and defense. Racking up an improbable 2,038 rushing yards, along with 120 tackles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions in his senior season alone, he earned the prestigious Gatorade Player of the Year Award for all Wisconsin high schools.
When he went to Madison to play for the Badgers a year later, he stayed on the defensive side of the ball. Chenal was immediately plugged into this Wisconsin defense as a true freshman, making several big plays in his first year. Things only picked up for the linebacker in his following two seasons. In 2021, Chenal led the team in tackles, tackles for loss, forced fumbles, and had the second most sacks. This standout season earned him several awards, most notably Big Ten Linebacker of the Year, AFCA First-Team All-American, and AP Second-Team All-American Honors.
His play at Wisconsin also caught the notice of many NFL teams. When he declared for the draft in the spring of 2022, he was ranked as one of the top linebacker prospects. Ultimately he stayed in red, trading his Badgers jersey for a Chiefs uniform when Kansas City selected him in the 3rd round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, he again made a fast impact, seeing the field in all 17 regular season games. In his first year, he contributed to a Super Bowl win for the Chiefs, recording 4 tackles, and a sack en route to the Kansas City's win over the Eagles.
Heading into his second season in the league, Chenal cemented himself as a starter, again playing in every game.
Perhaps his best performance of the year came when the Chiefs needed him most. This Super Bowl 58, Chenal set the tone early. As the 49ers and Running Back Christian McCaffrey were mounting an early drive down the field, Chenal snuffed their flame, forcing a pivotal fumble that found its way into the Chiefs’ hands. He went on to have a combined 6 tackles in the game, and of course, the crucial late-game field goal block.
With two rings on his fingers, in two years of NFL play, Leo Chenal will continue to do what he has always done: show up in big moments and deliver for his team.
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