The Brown & White

As a backbone to the Mountain Hawks' special teams, senior kicker Jason Leo has been a key component to the Lehigh football team.

Leo hopes to contribute to a victory against rival Lafayette College on Saturday, and end the Hawk's losing streak against the Leopards.

"Last year's seniors graduated without ever beating Lafayette, so this game goes beyond just the rivalry for me," Leo said.

Leo has shown incredible improvement across his Lehigh football career and has established himself as a powerful offensive player, senior offensive lineman Chris Tiefenthal said.

"He has become a much more accurate and effective punter," Tiefenthal said. "The distance and hang time of his punts allows ample time for the coverage team to get downfield, making large returns nearly impossible."

Leo received the Special Teams Player of the Year award his sophomore year, and an honorable All-American mention his junior year.

However, his accomplishments are not just celebrated with awards. He is highly regarded among his teammates as a strong and exemplary leader, Tiefenthal said.

"[Leo] is respected by the team and does his best to do whatever it takes to help the team win," Tiefenthal said.

Leo is from Harleysville, Pa., where he developed his kicking skills as a soccer player.

After an injury, Leo recognized a potential easy transition and joined his high school's football team his sophomore year.

"Punting and kicking were perfect for me because of my soccer experience," Leo said.

Leo has improved Lehigh's punting capabilities with the implementation of a rugby style punt.

Through the guidance of his coaches and Leo's effort, Lehigh has been recognized in the area of punting, being ranked in the top five in the country for net punting average.

Leo's position is high-pressured because his time on the field centers on his performance. While plays and strategies can be re-attempted, every kick has to be perfect. However, Leo uses this pressure as a motivator.

"I only have one shot every time I step onto the field, and I try to feed off of this high pressure in a positive way," Leo said.

The Mountain Hawks have a season record of 4-6, overall, 3-2 in league play.

Leo and his fellow teammates hope to end the season with a strong win against Lafayette.

Despite Leo's individual success, he continuously works towards the progress of the entire team, he said.

"I would rather have a bad day and have the team win," he said. "The team's success is the most important thing to me."

Leo is an accounting and finance major, with hopes of securing a job in corporate finance.

"He has a very calm and composed personality, yet he has a competitive nature," Tiefenthal said. "I am sure he will succeed in whatever profession he decides to pursue."

Although Leo focuses on other activities besides football, all of his passions possess a similar drive. A drive fueled by precision and perfection. Whether he is concentrating on an accounting problem, working on his golf swing or kicking the winning field goal, he strives to produce flawless results.

However, Leo ultimately recognizes that without mistakes there would be no potential for improvement.

"I try to look back at my mistakes and learn from them," Leo said. "Nobody is perfect."

The Lehigh-Lafayette football game is set to kick-off this Saturday in Easton, Pa. at 1 p.m.

It will be the 144th game played between the two teams, marking the longest running rivalry in the country.