Bussin’ With The Boys: Best of the Bus – Leonard Fournette on His NFL Journey & The Derrick Henry College Debate

Podcast: Bussin’ With The Boys
Host(s): Will Compton & Taylor Lewan
Guest: Leonard Fournette (with additional input from other players)
Original Air Date: November 22, 2025
Episode Theme: Leonard Fournette joins the Boys for a candid deep-dive into his NFL journey—his roots in New Orleans, high school and college stardom, the ups and downs of his pro career (including his controversial exit from Jacksonville), life with the Tampa Bay Bucs, mental health, and the iconic question: Was Fournette better than Derrick Henry in college?

Episode Overview

The episode spotlights Leonard Fournette’s tumultuous but inspiring football journey, starting from his upbringing in New Orleans, stardom at LSU, and a rollercoaster NFL career (notably his transition from Jacksonville to Tampa Bay). The Boys and Leonard jump into spirited debates about football culture, player fights, SEC legends, and offbeat topics like gas station breakfasts and the best fast food. They wrap with a “Tear Talk”—ranking the best fast food breakfasts—and settle the perennial debate between Fournette's and Derrick Henry’s college careers.

Key Topics & Takeaways

1. NFL Joint Practice Fights & Locker Room Stories

• Training Camp Scuffles: Leonard dishes on the inevitable fights during joint practices, particularly a heated exchange with Jeff Simmons.
  • “It’s always gonna be a fight no matter what… Hype everybody up, like, hit me, hit him two times. Then it’s like 100 Titans came out of nowhere.” (Fournette, 03:18)
• Locker Room Antics: Hilarious tales about on-field brawls, instigators, and social media drama follow.
  • “Yeah, dude, just sell the fight, dude… Don King. I was up there.” (Fournette, 03:56)

2. Louisiana Roots & LSU Legacy

• Culture & Food: Unfiltered love for Louisiana culture, from thick accents to legendary breakfasts.
  • “Thick lives matter, man. That’s what it’s about… Seafood, the seasoning. Guys like us—we’re big and fast, so that’s what we breed down there.” (Fournette, 11:15)
• High School to LSU: Leonard lists New Orleans products—himself, Tyrann Mathieu, Odell Beckham Jr., Peyton & Eli Manning, Ed Reed—and proudly distinguishes New Orleans from Louisiana at large.
  • “I played with Trey (Turner) my freshman year. I was the only freshman to play varsity.” (Fournette, 11:50)
• When He Knew He ‘Was Him’: Became the number one player in the nation as a high school sophomore.
  • “My sophomore year, I made my mother retire… My first four games, rushed for a thousand yards. After that, it was history.” (Fournette, 13:21)

3. The College vs. Pros Transition; NFL Setbacks

• Jacksonville Departure: Fournette breaks down the “breakup,” clashing with coaches, being cut, and his emotional reaction.
  • “When I got cut from Jacksonville… I wasn’t so hurt. I was just embarrassed.” (Fournette, 21:04)
  • “I was pissed off about it… even when Tom [Brady] reached out to me, I just didn’t really care. I just wanted to spend time with my kids and be mad… That’s one of the—I don’t wish that on nobody.” (Fournette, 25:37)
• Tampa Bay & Playoff Lenny: Details his frustration at not starting, requesting release, and the turning point.
  • “First time in my life, ever gotta play behind somebody… I told Coach B.A., ‘Man, fuck it. Release me.’” (Fournette, 27:07)
  • “I thought about my kids… you gotta keep fighting, you never know what’s at the end of the tunnel.” (Fournette, 28:40)

4. Mental Health, Brotherhood & Player Support

• Checking on Each Other: Candid on the challenges of maintaining mental toughness as a pro athlete—relating to both Ben Simmons and Antonio Brown.
  • “My goal is, because Ben is my brother, I check on Ben, make sure mentally he’s okay. At the end of the day, football is just something we do. That’s not who we are.” (Fournette, 20:28)
  • “My two years with him [A.B.]—I love A.B. No player worked harder than him.” (Fournette, 68:25)

5. The Legendary SEC Running Back Debate

• Derrick Henry vs. Leonard Fournette in College:
  • Leonard makes his statistical case: “His last four games, he [Derrick] got the ball over 40 times... He played one more game than me… I finished with 19-something [yards], but one less game… That says it all.” (Fournette, 69:12)
  • The Boys counter: “All I heard in that situation was Derrick got 2,000. You didn’t.” (Lewan, 69:39)
  • They deep-dive yards-per-game, strength-of-schedule, and the different situations LSU and Bama faced.

6. Inside Jokes, Team Dynamics, and Ice Cream & Cakes

• Failed Running Joke: The infamous “ice cream and cakes” question, an inside joke from LSU days, flops on air—revealing Fournette’s genuine, playful dynamic with teammates.
  • “He looked at me and just goes, ‘Okay.’ And then I said, ‘I’m lost.’” (Podcast Host, 46:12)
  • Foster Moreau, LSU buddy, gets referenced as the “fifth Fournette brother—but you can’t because you’re white.” (Fournette, 47:07)

7. Fast Food, Gas Station Breakfasts & ‘Tear Talk’

• Gas Station Breakfasts in New Orleans: Fourchette proclaims the best breakfast is at local gas stations—not chain drive-thrus.
  • “Our gas stations cook better than half of these on here… I was late to school every day—stop at Mama’s, get my whole class donuts.” (Fournette, 52:49)
• Favorite Fast Food Breakfasts: The Boys rank McDonald’s (McGriddles!), Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr., Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, and more.
  • “If you’re hungover, there’s really no better spot to go than Waffle House… get the hash brown smothered, covered…” (Fournette, 45:03)
• Burgers: Strong feelings (pro–Five Guys/Wendy’s, anti–In-N-Out/Whataburger).
• Crawfish & Home Cooking: Fournette can eat 15 lbs solo; insists nothing beats a real New Orleans crawfish boil.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On NFL Fights:
  “It’s always gonna be a fight no matter what.” — Leonard Fournette (03:18)

• On Growing Up in New Orleans:
  “Thick lives matter, man… That’s what it’s about. …Guys like us, we’re big and fast. That’s what we breed down there, bro.” — Fournette (11:15)

• On Being Cut by Jacksonville:
  “When I got cut… I was just embarrassed. I’ve been number one my whole life at everything.” — Fournette (21:04)

• On Not Starting in Tampa:
  “First time in my life ever gotta play behind somebody. So that shit ran me hot—mad as shit every day coming into work. …I told Coach B.A., ‘Fuck it, release me.’” — Fournette (27:07)

• On Mental Health & Brotherhood:
  “My job is, because Ben is my brother, I check on Ben, make sure mentally he’s okay. At the end of the day, football is just something we do. That’s not who we are.” — Fournette (20:28)

• Debating Derrick Henry:
  “So me and Derrick, we used to train with each other… His last four games… he got the ball over 40 times… He played a game more than me. …I finished with 1900 [yards] …but one less game. Okay. That says it all.” — Fournette (69:12)

• On Gas Station Breakfasts:
  “Listen, our gas stations cook better than half of these… I was late to school every day, stop at Mama’s, get my whole class donuts.” — Fournette (52:49)

Important Timestamps

• [03:18] – Joint practice fights: “It’s always gonna be a fight no matter what…”
• [11:15] – Louisiana food & athletic culture: “Thick lives matter, man…”
• [13:21] – On his high school breakout, mother’s retirement.
• [21:04] – Getting cut from Jacksonville: “I was just embarrassed…”
• [25:37] – The immediate aftermath of his release.
• [27:07] – Asking Bucs to release him, “That shit ran me hot…”
• [46:12] – The “ice cream and cakes” inside joke confounds.
• [52:49] – Gas station breakfasts over fast food chains.
• [69:12] – Fournette makes his case vs. Derrick Henry in college.
• [68:25] – Memories of Antonio Brown: “No player worked harder than him.”
• [45:03] – The group Waffle House breakfast love.

Tone and Language

The episode is casual, funny, and full of the spontaneous swagger that defines league insiders chatting behind closed doors (“the bus”). The guests repeatedly roast each other, trade personal stories, and show real camaraderie and vulnerability, especially when mental health and the business side of the NFL come up.

Who Should Listen?

Anyone interested in raw, unfiltered stories from NFL players about life behind the scenes—on-field fights, mental health, locker-room dynamics, and the food that fuels them. Hardcore football fans will love the LSU vs. Bama debates, SEC lore, and player ranking squabbles.

Final Thoughts

Leonard Fournette holds nothing back, giving listeners an honest look at the undulating journey from being the #1 high school player to NFL champion to humbled backup. The Boys keep it playful but real, bridging the gap between football legend and everyman, with a healthy serving of New Orleans spice.

Listen if you want:

• Insider NFL fight stories
• Unfiltered takes on getting cut and bouncing back
• Southern food and fast-food breakfast rankings
• Debates on who’s really “Hemi” in the SEC
• A lot of laughs and a little wisdom on life after the game