ABOUT LEIGH BODDEN
Meet Leigh
When he was ten years old, Leigh Bodden moved to Prince George's County, MD, with his mother three siblings (two sisters and one brother) and has resided there since. The airing of the Rodney King beating on television news in 1991 sparked Leigh's initial interest in fairness, justice, and advocating for community rights. Leigh recognized that supporting his community and views required increasing his knowledge and broadening his understanding of organizations and group dynamics. So, when provided the opportunity to attend Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, he seized it, receiving a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration while excelling as an athlete and earning entrance in the National Football League (NFL) through his dedication, perseverance, and work ethic. Leigh spent nine years as a professional athlete playing in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and New England Patriots.
Over the years, Leigh never forgot Prince George's County. He gave back to his community by holding youth football camps, donating to community food and toy drives, and providing scholarships to students at his alma mater - Northwestern High school. Leigh has also volunteered at Bladensburg high school as an Assistant Football coach. And before the unfortunate economic downturn as a result of COVID-19, he ran an affordable gym in Lanham, MD, creating jobs and assisting county residents to meet their health needs and goals for five years.
Leigh is now poised to place his focus on uniting Prince George's County to improve the quality of living, foster solidarity amongst the political leaders and the people, and establish a bright future for our youth. Leigh knows nothing is impossible when you focus, work hard, and seize opportunities. He wants to fuel his community with the same dedication, perseverance, work ethic, and communication he used to achieve his dream as a professional athlete when others deemed it impossible to make it in the NFL from an academic-focused school such as Duquesne. He will use the same fire and determination that infused his athletic achievements to fuel his public service efforts and drive unprecedented quality of living and resident satisfaction in Prince George's County, MD.