I found this in Sunday's Carroll County Times. Sounds like former Badger Jim Leonhard is making a great impression with the Baltimore Ravens.

ST. LOUIS — Jim Leonhard is rapidly growing accustomed to walking in the footsteps of Baltimore Ravens star free safety Ed Reed.

For the third consecutive game, Leonhard replaced Reed in the starting lineup as the Ravens took on the St. Louis Rams on Saturday night at the Edward Jones Dome. Leonhard recorded a team-high seven tackles during the first half.

With each passing week, as Reed continues to be sidelined with a left shoulder injury that involves nerve issues, the odds keep increasing that Leonhard might start the Ravens’ season-opener Sept. 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium.

“Those are big shoes to fill, obviously,” Leonhard acknowledged. “Ed’s probably the best safety in the league. I just go out there and play hard, and the opportunity is going to be there to make plays.

“The main thing is just to be consistent. Everything is going to fall where it is, and I just need to continue to learn and get better.”

Undersized at 5-foot-8, 186 pounds, Leonhard is used to being underestimated. However, the Ravens have been extremely pleased with his work since signing him this spring.

"Oh, he’s done very well," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He’s had a heck of a camp. He’s proved himself as a player. He plays all the phases of special teams as well, and we’re excited to have him on our team.”

Entering the St. Louis game, Leonhard had registered four tackles and one pass deflection and was tied for the most special-teams tackles with rookie safety Haruki Nakamura with three stops in kick coverage.

“This has been a lot of significant time for me to get out on the field,” Leonhard said. “It feels good to show you belong.

“The more you’re on the field, the more comfortable you feel. You try to let it all go and make plays instead of just trying not to make mistakes.”

Leonhard, 25, is entering his fourth season and has helped mentor Nakamura and fellow rookie draft pick Tom Zbikowski.

“Jim is a veteran and he has got that knowledge of the game,” Nakamura said. “That really helps us out a lot."

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