04/03/2026
A Great Write up on our own Leo Chenal!! We are all proud of this kid!! Such a humble and honest guy!! So Proud to call you a Pirate!! Work Hard and Dreams do come true!! 💜☠️🏈
Leo Chenal — from Pirate to professional
By Byron Higgin, Grantsburg Rotarian
If Martin Luther King hadn’t made famous the term, “I have a dream”, it might have been credited to Leo Chenal.
The former Grantsburg Pirate, Wisconsin Badger, Kansas City Chief, two-time Super Bowl Champion and now a Washington Commanders linebacker, has been living his “dream” as a professional football player.
It began when he was a kid growing up in Frederic with 15 siblings.
He grew up loving football and gives a lot of credit to his siblings.
“There’s something special about brothers and sisters who share a unique goal with you,” Chenal said.”
He added, “They had the same values as me. We set goals to avoid sugar and pop.”
“I just loved football and he dared dream about a professional career.
“I told that to some kids in high school and they said, “Yeah, right! but I don’t blame them, I just loved football,” said Chenal.
Referring back to those siblings he grew up with, Chenal said, “Being with my brothers and sisters, I learned to pull others (into his dream) and ultimately was inspired by them.”
He also credits his mom for raising the large family. “We cracked a few walls, doors and heads,” but through it all she “Cooked us three meals a stay, went to most of our games, made us protein shakes and tucked us in at night. She did everything for us. Mom was a Saint for what she did for us.”
When he was recruited by the Wisconsin Badgers, “I set a goal of being the first in the recruiting class to commit.” Yet, he admits he still had a lot of growing up to do.
He asked himself, “How am I going to be different, to excel, to separate myself?”
His answer was to avoid the partying life, so while other were, “Drinking and staying up late, I decided I was going to do extra work.”
He credits his wife Randi, a nurse, who is also a hard worker, with helping him build this opportunity together.”
When Covid hit it presented a lot of free time to athletes. He saw a lot of his teammates just “sitting around,’ so he decided to “Build myself up.”
When he turned in his best performance against the Minnesota Gophers he said, “I began to believe It (the dream).”
“My dad always told us, ‘Focus on the 10x10 foot space around you,” and I always remembered that” said Chenal.
Becoming a professional football play became reality because, “I worked hard every single day, even in the off season.”
After four years with the Kansas City Chiefs and with two Super Bowl championship rings on his fingers he became a free agent. “I didn’t know what to expect at all,” Chenal said. For three months he waited silently with his agent telling him, ‘We’ll find the situation that fits for you.” There were other suitors but eventually he signed a three-year contract with the Commanders.
While he would have liked to get closer to home with the Packers or Vikings, he found the opportunity in Washington “Was a good fit for me as a linebacker.”
In fact, a press release announcing his signing said, ‘The Commanders filled their most glaring need by signing linebacker Leo Chenal.”
Finding a new team was much more than financial. “We also wanted to be happy in the process,” he said.
Chenal may be the first Grantsburg Pirate to play professional football, but he’s never forgotten his roots. His off-season training includes getting the sleep he needs, then going to the high school to work out. It keeps me motivated to work out with others. “We go in just before school and that gets me going for the day.
And even during the regular season he and his wife tune in the Grantsburg Pirates on Friday nights.
Nutrition
Leo Chenal has always been aware of the fact healthy nutrition is one of the keys to success,
“I was a lot stricter on diet in high school and college …. No candy or sweets. In the pros you work hard every day and sometimes I eat McNuggets for the protein, but then I fast from, 7 p.m. to 11 am.
At times he’ll also go on a 20-hour fast.
For him the key to good health is Hydration, sleep and nutrition.
Getting enough protein isn’t always easy as eggs, good bread, rice, potatoes and yogurt become part of his routine.
Special time
In Wisconsin he played with his brother John and that was a special time for Leo. “That was so cool, super special.”
He said brother John took him under his wing and “Taught me the ropes,” A special memory came on special teams, “When we lined up side by side, Numbers 44 and 45 going down field together.”
In fact, he added, “I didn’t realize how special until later.”
Super Bowl
“It’s a crazy experience,” says Chenal. For every game there is a routine, but once you get off the bus your routine changes, you spend four hours with the media and there are so many distractions.
But when it came to the big game, “The games the same. Everything drowns out and you play the game,” he said. he credits his wife Randi for taking some of the stress off him but handling all the requests for tickets.
Chief Coach Andy Reid
“He’s an old school coach, very superstitious and he always says the same thing, but he’s very committed and very consistent,” said Chenal. He’s stoic and doesn’t joke around much, but he’s a fun guy to play for.”
A new challenge
“Now *I have 300 new staff names and faces to learn plus a new playbook. To learn everything in a short period of time gets to be a lot. It’s a whole new situation, I was comfortable in Kansas City, but you have no choice but to adjust.”
Dream realized!
(Picture: Professional football player Leo Chenal posed with Rotarian and author of this article, Byron Higgin)
