Tuesday a big day for Dodge County and Super Bowl champ Leonard Floyd
If you have some time off, heading to Eastman on Tuesday might not be a bad idea as Central Georgia celebrates a Super Bowl champ.
It’ll be Leonard Floyd Day in Eastman, home to Dodge County, where Floyd was a standout football player before he went on to be a standout football player at Georgia, before he went on to be a standout player in the NFL.
And key member of the Super Bowl champ L.A. Rams’ defense.
The celebration – specific details and a detailed schedule were difficult to determine Sunday night based on local social media posts - starts at 4 p.m. with a parade, live music from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the amphitheatre on Main Street, and food trucks, a dedication, and a meet-and-greet.
He is scheduled to make an appearance at Dodge County High, but that is open to students and staff only, and will be live-streamed on the school’s Facebook page.
Floyd will also be honored in his hometown of Chauncey, almost 10 miles southeast of Eastman.
Floyd, now 6-5 and 240 pounds, was a multi-sport standout early on at Dodge County, playing football under Lee Campbell – now at Peach County – and Rex Hodges – now at Westfield – a decade ago, earning consensus All-State honors as a senior in 2011, graduating that spring and then heading to Hargrave Military Academy for a year before going to Georgia.
He has started every game he’s played in during his NFL career, 87 since 2016. He has 279 tackles in six seasons, an average of 46 a year. By comparison, teammate Aaron Donald has average 55.
Floyd’s tackle total has risen the past three years, to a career high of 70 in the 2021 regular season. The 29-year-old was drafted by Chicago early in the first round and played four seasons with the Bears, where he was No. 94. He changed to 54 upon going to the Rams, after signing a one-year contract for $10 million. Less than a year later, he signed a four-year deal for $64 million.
In 2020, he had a career high 11 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks.