Leonard Fournette Recalls 'Pushing Dead Bodies' In Aftermath Of Katrina While Talking Impact Of Hurricane Ian

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette may have only been 10 years old when Hurricane Katrina ripped through his hometown of New Orleans, but he still has vivid memories of the destruction. Those memories came flooding back as Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida on Wednesday.

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Fournette and the Bucs left Tampa Bay and moved to Miami well before Ian made landfall south of Tampa. Speaking with the media before taking the practice field Wednesday, Fournette recalled what he and his family went through in the aftermath of Katrina.

"I just know how it was having to walk through that water, pushing over dead bodies for your grandmother and grandfather to pass through," Fournette told The Palm Beach Post before practice.

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FORT MYERS FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 29: In this aerial view, vehicles make their way through a flooded area after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on September 29, 2022 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Fournette encouraged people to evacuate any area in the path of a hurricane.

"I know how serious it is and how it can turn for the worse. Just stay safe. Protect your family. If you have the choice to evacuate, I feel like that's what you're supposed to do especially if you have young kids," Fournette explained.

Like most people around the country this week, it's clear that football isn't the only thing on Fournette's mind.

Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday afternoon near Cayo Costa, Fla., just west of Fort Meyers, as a Category 4 storm. Officials downgraded it to a tropical storm after it hit, but the storm wreaked havoc all across Southwest Florida.

Lee County in Southwest Florida has suffered hundreds of fatalities, according to Sheriff Carmine Marceno. The official number of fatalities has not been confirmed.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.