Tank Hopkins and Brett Leonard commit to the Warriors

About choosing the Warriors, 5'10", 165-pound JC CB Melvin "Tank" Hopkins said:
"I like everything about the program — the coaches, the players, everything." (HA)

About choosing the Warriors, 6'5", 306-pound JC LT Brett Leonard said:
"I liked the whole vibe out there. The whole community is behind the team. Everywhere we went, people would ask: 'Are you on the football team?' I definitely liked that." (HA)

Note: Leonard had offers from Cal, Marshall, Kansas and Miami (Ohio).

About how the rain over the weekend didn't bother him
"I'll take it." (HA)

About how he timed Hopkins at 4.38 seconds over 40 yards, Navarro head coach Nick Bobeck said:
Navarro head coach Nick Bobeck timed Hopkins sprinting 40 yards in 4.38 seconds. "That was on grass." (HA)

About how teams didn't throw into the quarter of the field that Hopkins was in, secondary coach Kevin Curtis said:
"There weren't a lot of balls thrown there." (HA)

About how Hopkins made 53 tackles, including 40 solo stops, Curtis said:
"He'll come up and tackle you. He can press. He can lay off. He can play zone. And he can hit hard." (HA)

About how Hopkins was difficult to block due to his quickness, which was important when opponents tried bubble screens, Bobeck said
"He's hard to get your hands on. He'll run up and make plays. He's a really good football player and a hard-working kid." (HA)

About Hopkins' work ethic, Curtis said:
"He's always stayed after practice. That's one thing that's important to him. He'll stay that extra time to work on his press technique or on his back-pedal. Everyone works hard and practices, but the people who do the extra work are the ones who come out on top. He does the extra." (HA)

About his nickname, Hopkins said:
"When I was little, I used to run into things, and knock them over." (HA)

About the story behind Hopkins' nickname, Bobeck said:
"I wouldn't doubt it. He's a high-energy kid. I can imagine what he was like when he was little." (HA)

HA Note: "Leonard was the back-side blocker at Saddleback. He allowed only two sacks the past season. In a face-to-face matchup, he did not allow Orange Coast's Dean DeLeone, an All-America defensive end, to hit the quarterback."

About how UH needs a LT like Leonard, associate head coach Don Butcher said:
"I wish Hawai'i had him the night (it) played Georgia. He's a great guy. He's a hard-worker. He's punctual. He has a great attitude. He has a ton of desire. He's got talent. He's athletic." (HA)

About how Leonard lost 20 pounds and two belt sizes since transferring to Saddleback, Butcher said:
"He's taken the two inches off his waist and put it on his shoulders and arms." (HA)

About how former All-Pro Jackie Slater tutored him this past semester, Leonard said:
"Words cannot express how much he helped me out in the couple of months he was with me. That was huge for me." (HA)

About how footwork is a strength of Leonard, Butcher said:
"He puts himself in position to make plays. He can pull. He can downfield block. He's always looking at the second level." (HA)