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Adam Leonard was a starting linebacker on the University of Hawaii football team that went 12-0 during the 2007 regular season.
He won a car on “The Price is Right.”
He appeared in a Verizon ad that aired during the Super Bowl LV telecast that drew 96.4 million viewers.
But other than saying, “I do,” to his best friend, and the birth of their two children, what moistened Leonard’s eyes was a message from “Albert.”
Albert was a former student who was not much of a student in an algebra class Leonard taught four years ago. Albert was the class clown, more interested in entertaining classmates than learning linear inequalities. But there was a lesson on problem-solving that stuck, that provides motivation for Albert to this day. The message to Leonard was Albert’s way of saying “thanks.”
“That’s my ‘why,’” said Leonard, who now teaches math and coaches at Warren High in Downey, Calif. “Of course, I would have wanted him to be more successful in class at that time. But even those things we did four years ago were things that he not only remembers but draws motivation from. It helped him be successful as an adult. I thought that was pretty cool.”
Leonard has used his experiences — hard-hitting linebacker for the Rainbow Warriors and then in the Canadian Football League — as the foundation of his daily lessons. In math, there is a solution to every problem.
Leonard learned perseverance as a 12-year-old after he was struck by a car while walking across the street toward his house. “I took a couple of steps, and it was as if the TV turned off,” Leonard recalled. “I blacked out (when I was hit).”
As a Rainier Beach High senior, he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in the third game. He underwent arthroscopic surgery twice as a Warrior. He then incurred a torn ACL in his left knee just ahead of his third CFL season. After an ensuing bout with arthritis ended his football career, Leonard applied for several jobs. The worst was working at a toy store.
“I played under some tough coaches,” Leonard said. “I played under (defensive coordinator Jerry) Glanville (at UH). But there was this guy (at the store) who was a real butt-hole. I was like, ‘Why are you like this?’ It wasn’t a happy place.”
But then Leonard found fulfillment teaching autistic children. He also landed as a defensive coordinator at Diego Rivera Learning Complex. The previous year, Diego Rivera won only one game. In Leonard’s first season, the Huskies qualified for the playoffs. Leonard picked up some work as a substitute teacher. He then decided to get certified as a full-time teacher. After earning the teaching credential through National University, Leonard opted to teach math.
“I’ve always enjoyed math,” he said. “What drew me is I like to be right. I was discouraged by English because it’s very subjective. One person can read something and think it’s the best thing ever. Another person can think it’s the worst. You can’t argue with math. It’s more objective. And I enjoy problem-solving. OK, this is the problem, what’s the solution? That’s what drove me as a kid. Especially in athletics. I like to win.”
Leonard teaches five classes, each with 30-plus students. Many come from difficult economic backgrounds. Leonard starts off each class with a joke, preferably a corny one. His room is stocked with snacks. He knows there are factors that affect a student’s learning or willingness to learn. “If they are hungry and need something to snack on, we can take care of that need, then work from there,” Leonard said. “Eating is one of the basic necessities.”
He said there are some freshmen who knew about middle school’s “social promotion.” Show up, be quiet and automatically advance to the next class. “It’s different in high school,” Leonard said. “Everything matters. If you don’t pass this class, you don’t move on.”
Leonard said there will be times when lessons will be taken straight from the textbooks. Other times, Leonard will use visual aids, set up interactive projects, or go outside for activities that demonstrate mathematical concepts. “I try to find the most engaging way based off of what content we need to teach,” he said. “All these activities get us to the point where, by the end of the week or the end of the lessons, this is what you’re expected to know.”
He also encourages students to ask questions if they do not fully comprehend the material. “For football, I always asked questions when I didn’t know something,” he said. “l wasn’t going to be the guy who goes out there and embarrasses himself.”
Just like in football, Leonard will adjust the plan if students need to spend more time on a subject. He said the goal is for students to learn and then retain the information. “Every kid is capable enough,” he said. “Sometimes it’s trying to find the right motivation.”
Leonard put his math skills to use when he was invited to try out for “The Price is Right” this spring. From a pool of 200 candidates that were screened through Zoom auditions, Leonard was one of the nine finalists invited to the studio. Because of COVID-19 protocols, contestants emerged from a side room when announcer George Gray boomed: “Come on down!” When Leonard was summoned, he did not perform the Thizzle Dance that he used during introductions at UH home games. “But,” he admitted of his entrance, “I was there acting the fool.”
He lost every single bid but the last one. He won a Kia Forte ($27,000 value). Later, after paying the taxes and registration, Leonard and his wife did the math. They sold the car.
“We weren’t in need of a car,” Leonard said. “We decided the cash would be a lot better.”
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