Leonard Fournette Stands by Preseason Comments Saying NFL Is 'Slower' and 'Easy'

Six games into his rookie season, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette is standing by his preseason comments that the NFL is not difficult for him.

In an interview with Steven Ruiz of USA Today, Fournette said he "most definitely" believes the NFL is slower than he thought it would be. 

"I stand by it," he said. "You’re playing against older guys, but to me the speed of the game is still the same. Playing in the SEC, and against other top schools, you’re used to that. A lot of guys who are in the NFL are SEC guys."

After the Jaguars' first preseason game against the New England Patriots on Aug. 10, Fournette told James Palmer of NFL.com the speed of the league was overhyped. 

"A lot of people were like, 'It's going to be fast.'" he said. "But by me playing in the SEC, that kind of helped me a lot. I think, to me, it was really easy."

An ankle injury kept Fournette out of Jacksonville's Week 7 game against the Indianapolis Colts, but that's really been the only hiccup for the former LSU star thus far. 

Fournette leads the NFL with six rushing touchdowns, ranks second with an average of 99.3 rushing yards per game and fourth with 596 rushing yards.

The Jaguars have relied heavily on Fournette, who is averaging 21.7 carries per game, and the NFL's second-best scoring defense to start 4-3 this season. They have finished under .500 in seven consecutive seasons.