Cre’Von Leblanc had graduated and was in the NFL by the time Lane Kiffin was brought on to coach the Florida Atlantic football team.
Still, Leblanc, a defensive back who played in 43 games for the Owls from 2012-15, was excited about Kiffin’s hiring. His excitement grew when FAU went 11-3, won the Conference USA Championship for the first time and won its first bowl game since 2008.
Leblanc was in his second season with the Chicago Bears when the Owls were rolling off wins, but he was paying attention as much as he could, and the success impressed him.