Richard LeCounte III Drafted by the Cleveland Browns

Richard LeCounte III was drafted by the Cleveland Browns.

Georgia safety Richard LeCounte III is now a member of the Cleveland Browns. He was selected in the fifth round  

One of the most beloved Georgia players in recent memory, LeCounte has found a new home in the NFL. During his four-year career for the Dawgs, LeCounte played 43 games, recording 176 tackles, four forced fumbles and eight interceptions. Starting at safety for three years, LeCounte was a leader for Georgia from an early point in his career. Throughout his time at Georgia, head coach Kirby Smart praised LeCounte’s physicality and his instincts at the safety position.

A U.S. Army All-American prospect, LeCounte was an early enrollee at Georgia during the 2017 season. He played in 10 games that year. It was obvious that even as a freshman, the Liberty County native would have a stellar career for the Dawgs.

As a sophomore, LeCounte earned a starting role. He made the transition look easy, as he was the leading tackler for Georgia that year with 74 total tackles. His 32-yard fumble return against Florida that year set up an early touchdown in the Bulldogs' win over the Gators. During the 2019 season, he followed up his breakout sophomore performance by leading the SEC in fumbles recovered and ranking second in the conference in interceptions.

LeCounte entered the 2020 season on the watch list for several defensive awards and was named to the preseason All-SEC team. He was on pace to have another outstanding year for the Dawgs before he suffered serious injuries in a motor vehicle accident on October 31. Unable to play for the remainder of the regular season, LeCounte’s return on the final play of the Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati was one of the most poignant moments of the season.

LeCounte declared for the draft following the game, joining fellow defensive backs Eric Stokes, Tyson Campbell, Mark Webb and DJ Daniel. Georgia fans are looking forward to seeing LeCounte excel in the NFL and hoping that Chris Smith and Lewis Cine make the same impact LeCounte did.

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