"But I've liked the way he plays the game since I first started watching football. I like his skills and how he talks to the guys trying to cover him. I don't do that, but it's funny to see him do it."
With then-senior Larry Richardson on the passing end, Leslie last season broke the Public League record for receiving yards in a season (861) and did so with an "Erictric" lights-out, yards-per-catch average of 29.7; he also tallied 10 touchdowns.
Now, the Speedboys' rushing game is mostly a rumor - "I have former receivers and cornerbacks at guard," rookie coach Paul Noon cracked - and Leslie finds the Promised Land a little harder to find. But not impossible.
Friday, with West and Murrell Dobbins Tech locked in a 6-6 tie in a Public AAA opener at 29th Street Stadium, Leslie eased off the line of scrimmage almost completely unnoticed and caught a 21-yard TD pass from junior Ricardo Streams. The clock showed 4:15 remaining and the score stood up, lifting the Speedboys to a 14-6 win. (Leslie added a conversion catch.)
West Philly improved to 2-0 for the first time since 1988, when it got off to a 5-0 start.
Maybe you're wondering, how could Dobbins not blanket Leslie, especially at such a crucial juncture?
Gotta love deception: He lined up at tight end.
"That was only the second time all game coach Larry [Bledsoe, offensive coordinator] put me there," Leslie said. "The first time, they sniffed it out. Not this time."
Leslie sprung forth from the left side and caught the fade in that same corner.
"I didn't know I was that open," he said. "I was just running my pattern. When I heard all our guys cheering even before the ball got to me, I figured that meant something good. The ball was right on the money. Right where it had to be. Easy touchdown."
