31-01-2025
Northwestern quarterback Leon Strawder is the Dade 3A-1A Offensive Player of the Year
Before this season, Leon Strawder wasn't familiar with what being a prolific touchdown passer felt like.
Under the tutelage of his head coach at Miami Northwestern, former Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Strawder spent his junior season putting together one of the best by a quarterback in Miami-Dade County history.
Strawder put himself in the company of his school's elite pantheon of former quarterbacks which includes Bridgewater, Jacory Harris and Tutu Atwell by throwing a county-high 46 touchdown passes and leading the Bulls to their first state championship in five years.
As a result, Strawder is the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Class 3A-1A Football Offensive Player of the Year.
'It was a good feeling because everybody doubted me,' Strawder said. 'I wasn't throwing double-digit touchdowns or throwing for 1,000 yards and then I got with Coach Teddy and all my numbers went up.'
Strawder completed 174 of 255 passes for 3,073 yards and eight interceptions while also rushing for 200 yards and four more touchdowns.
Strawder's touchdown pass mark was the most by a Northwestern quarterback since Harris threw a county-record 51 in 2007 while leading that Bulls team to a state and national title.
'It just felt good to win and become a state champion,' Strawder said. 'I think I got better at reading defenses and reading coverages quicker.'
Strawder began his high school career at rival Miami Central before transferring to Northwestern. While playing for the Rockets, he learned from another of Dade's all-time best in current FIU starting quarterback Keyone Jenkins.
This season, with an array of elite receivers including CJ Russell, the top-ranked 2026 prospect in the state per 247Sports, Darius Johnson and Nicholas Lennear, Strawder led Northwestern on one of the most dominant postseason runs by any team in recent memory.
It culminated with Strawder throwing four touchdown passes in a 41-0 victory over Jacksonville Raines in the Class 3A state championship game.
Strawder developed great chemistry with his receivers long before they all united at Northwestern as he grew up playing with many of them in youth football.
'Those are my guys since little league and every time they got a mismatch I threw them the ball,' Strawder said. 'They always want the ball and I let them do what they do.'
