Leslie’s back in game with Renegades to tackle title
Once Darcy Leslie took the football field for the Boston Renegades, it came back so quickly.
“It was kind of like an out-of-the-body experience,” said Leslie. “It all just started clicking. I just reached down each rep, and I started feeling like myself again.”
It was no small feat to even be out on the field at Revere’s Harry Della Russo Stadium with the Renegades, the winner of the last four Women’s Football Alliance titles. Before Leslie played in that game against the D.C. Divas, the linebacker had not taken the field in a WFA game in more than five years. A mother of two and a business owner, she had mostly put football in her rearview mirror.
But at the end of that April 29 game, Leslie’s football bug was back for good — a benefit to both the Renegades, who defeated the Divas, 63-6, and to Leslie.
“At the end of the game, I had nine tackles, which was pretty cool,” she said.
Leslie and the Renegades have continued to roll, and they are 6-0 entering Saturday’s first-round playoff game vs. the Divas. They outscored opponents, 366-43, in the regular season.
Dominating opponents isn’t new for Leslie. From 2009-17, she was a defensive superstar for the Chicago Force, a juggernaut that resembled the currently dominant Renegades. The franchise won 10 division titles, three conference titles, and the 2013 league title. Leslie was the 2013 Conference Player of the Year and was the team’s Defensive MVP every year.
Despite the Force’s successes, they took the field for the last time on July 8, 2017 — coincidentally, against the Renegades. Boston defeated Chicago in that third-round playoff game, 4437.
After the game, Leslie retired and the Force ceased operations in the lead up to the 2018 season.
Leslie doesn’t so much retire from sports but finds new ones to try. Football had been her next step after a three-sport career in college.
She became a NJCAA Hall of Famer after captaining the volleyball, basketball, and softball teams at Illinois’s Oakton Community College. After her career with the Force, she turned to CrossFit — competing, coaching, and owning a gym.
She initially kept one foot in the football world by participating with the 2018 Women in Careers in Football forum. It helped her earn an internship with the New York Jets scouting department.
“It was amazing to see the scouting portion of things,” said Leslie. “Just to spend some time learning what it is that these teams are looking for, how to better see what players are good and what players need a little bit of work.”
But Chicago was home, and after her time with the Jets, Leslie returned home to marry her wife, Brandy, and start a family.
Running her gym and raising two sons kept her busy. Her new life also included getting US citizenship in 2021, something she had sought for years after coming to the United States from Belize as a 6-year-old.
Having US citizenship unlocked the lone football accolade that had been missing from Leslie’s career: the chance to play for Team USA in the International Federation of American Football’s Women’s World Championship. Held every four years, the 2022 edition was the first for which Leslie was eligible.
“The USA trials came up and I thought, ‘Should I do this?’ ” said Leslie. “It was not the ideal time. My wife and I had just bought a house, and our baby, Leon, would be a month old at the time of the championships.
“But you know what? This is something that I’ve always wanted to do my entire football career. I had a pretty deep football career, but that was one thing I felt like I missed out on.”
So despite being away from the gridiron for five years, she tried out and made the team.
“I had wondered what kind of football career I would’ve had if I had these years’ worth of CrossFit,” said Leslie. “My strength has increased. My cardiovascular ability has increased.
“It’s actually been fun being back on the field and putting myself to the test. CrossFit definitely helped me stay ready, even though I didn’t think I was trying to keep myself ready to go back to football.”
After her gold-medal winning experience with Team USA last summer, the football bug bit Leslie again, but there was no pro team nearby. She was drawn to the Renegades because of their high level of play.
“Before, the Renegades games against the Force were always the one to watch,” said Leslie. “It was always good quality. It wasn’t a blowout. It left that pit in your stomach, because as a player you didn’t know how it was going to be. Boston feels like home. It feels like the way the Force operated.”
Being a member of the Renegades is not easy. Leslie is commuting from Chicago to Boston, often with her wife and kids in tow.
“When I envisioned how this would work, I needed my whole family to be there with me,” said Leslie. “I couldn’t just leave Brandy home alone with a bunch of kids while I go do something that fulfills me.”
Now with a place among the top three defensive players on a deep Renegades roster, Leslie seems destined for another WFA title. But her bigger wish is that the sport grows beyond its media exposure and business side of the game.
“We need more athletes,” said Leslie. “We need more talent to help this sport grow. A lot of us are getting older, so we can’t do this forever. Boston has a lot of young athletes who are really shining on the team. All of these other organizations just need to pull in more people.
“It’s a phenomenal sport. Football isn’t just for men. It should be for anyone.”