Colts LB Leonard Won't Get Vaccinated Until He Has More Information

Colts All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard has no problem bringing down ball carriers, but he's not as eager to tackle the COVID vaccine. Leonard is currently holding off on taking a jab in the arm until more information is available. The 26-year-old has every intention of studying his COVID playbook before finalizing his personal vaccine game plan.

"I’m just a down South guy. I want to see more. I want to learn more. I want to get more educated about it," Leonard told Zak Keefer of The Athletic. "Just got to think about it. Don’t want to rush into it. I’ve got to see everything. I’m listening to all the vaccinated guys here. I’m not – you see on social media – I’m not pro-vaxx. I’m not anti-vaxx. I’ve got to learn."

Leonard, who signed a contract extension with the Colts for more than $99 million in August, cites unknown long-term effects as part of the reason for his hesitation:

"When you don’t know about something, you’ve got to educate yourself more about it and figure out what it is, and you’ve got to make a decision from there. You’ve got to make sure you understand your decision and understand what’s going in your body and the long-term effects and stuff like that."

The linebacker wouldn't step on the field without first familiarizing himself with the opponent, and he's taking that same approach towards vaccines, telling Keefer: "I think once I get a grasp of it – just like the playbook – you’ve got to get comfortable with something. You can say, ‘OK, I’m going to put this in my body.’"

My body, my choice doesn't discriminate. Leonard is a 6'2, 230 pound tackling machine.