South Jersey’s Leary Ready to Embark on His NFL Career

by Marc Narducci | May 6, 2024
South Jersey’s Leary Ready to Embark on His NFL Career
 Devin Leary was a record-setting high school quarterback at Timber Creek. He then starred at two colleges, North Carolina State and Kentucky.

Now he will begin his pro journey after being selected in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens, the 218th overall selection. 

Leary is going to a team that has one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. It’s a situation where Leary will compete for a backup spot, while learning the intricacies of playing in the NFL.

While Leary won’t see immediate playing time, unless injuries to Jackson and possibly others occur, he can always perform well enough in practice and exhibition games to gain the attention of other teams.

Either way, it’s a life-long dream to be drafted by an NFL team.

“I knew they were in the market for a quarterback, I didn’t necessarily know where or when they were going to take a pick, but I was just really honored and blessed that it was me,” Leary said during his opening press conference with the Baltimore media.

Leary is known for having one of the best arms among this year’s NFL rookie class. He was clocked as the third hardest thrower at the NFL combine, throwing 60 MPH. He was measured at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds at the combine.

During his lone season at Kentucky, he completed 56.3% of his passes for 2,746 yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. 

When asked by the media for his strength, he first mentioned his arm talent.

“I truly believe that I throw the football not like many people in this world,” he said. “(It’s) something that I pride myself on, being able to fit the football into tight windows.”

Leary will enter the NFL with plenty of experience.

He played in 43 career games, with 38 starts. That included 30 games with 26 starts at NC State and 13 at Kentucky. 

At both schools he combined to throw for 9,553 yards and 87 touchdowns. 

South Jersey fans shouldn’t be surprised at this success.

At Timber Creek, he helped the Chargers win the South Jersey titles in 2015 and 2016. Leary finished his high school career with 9,672 passing yards and 105 TD passes, according to South Jersey historian Chuck Langerman. These are both still state career records, according to Langerman. 

A couple of other great tidbits from Langerman:

*Leary is the only QB in South Jersey history to throw for more than 2,000 yards in three different seasons.

*His 48 touchdown passes in 2016 is still a South Jersey and state single-season record.

*Leary is South Jersey’s all-time leader in career total offense with 10,197 yards. He had 9,672 yards passing and 525 rushing. 

In 2016, during Leary’s junior season, Timber Creek went 12-0 and beat Lenape, 31-10, in the South Jersey Group 4 championship. When Leary played, the public school football playoffs ended with the sectional championships. Now teams can vie for a state title. 


Author: Marc Narducci

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