Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard could not have a better ending to his college chapter. He helped Marcus Freeman’s program run the national title game. Leonard’s two second-half touchdown passes to Jaden Greathouse proved the Fighting Irish were resilient, but the comeback attempt was too late. Even though Leonard’s championship dreams did not come true, he made the big leap to the NFL. 

The former Notre Dame quarterback was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the NFL draft (189th overall). Following the Colts’ decision to keep Leonard in-state, his hypewoman, girlfriend Molly Walding, could not keep calm. She proudly flexed about her beau, hitting a milestone. “These moments were too sweet not to share! Proud doesn’t even begin to cover it!!!! The Colts don’t know how lucky they got 💙 @riley.leonard,” she posted an IG story. Now that Leonard’s professional life has hit full throttle, the quarterback thought of taking his love life a step ahead. But poor Leonard! Hardly did he know that it would come with an ‘Oops’ moment. 

Leonard deserves gold stars when it comes to balancing his duties. The quarterback wrapped up his Notre Dame chapter on a high note, having racked up 2861 yards and 21 touchdowns. Combining his three seasons at Duke, the stats come to 7,311 yards and 45 touchdowns. But that does not mean he left his love life on autopilot; he has put in genuine effort. With Molly at Auburn and Leonard starting at Duke and later moving to Notre Dame in 2023, the couple aced a long-distance relationship with ease. Reports say the couple met in middle school, as they lived in the same hometown, Fairhope, Alabama. However, Leonard and Walding’s love blossomed in their high school as they attended their first dance together in October 2017. Finally, on July 9, Leonard thought of sealing the love with a ring. But he made a sweet blunder.

The Colts quarterback posted a picture of Waldings freshly manicured hands. And one could not stop appreciating Leonard’s choice. The chunky solitaire has indeed been a rare piece for someone as special to him as his sweetheart. In the caption, he revealed some BTS stories. The caption read, “Jammed her finger throwing the football right before engagement. Ring still fit. Barely.” Turns out that someone was busy giving his sweetheart some football lessons before the big day. And Leonard did not sidestep his mistake; rather, he owned it sweetly. The quarterback also made an IG post with a selfie of the lovebirds. And one could not miss Walding’s broad smile, flaunting her new accessory. 

The caption read, “Diamonds make pressure.” The comment section had Walding spreading love. Now that it’s official, she commented, “Best day of my life!!!!! I love you!!!” While this indeed is a special gesture, Walding still remembers the day when the quarterback covered 1332 miles just to meet the love of his life.

Riley Leonard made a to-and-fro trip from Indiana to Auburn in a day 

There was a time when Leonard had too many things on his plate. He was busy making Notre Dame proud with his 1-yard touchdown run that came with only 4 minutes and 32 seconds left on the clock. At the same time, he was not yet sure how his NFL chapter would transpire. But that did not dull his efforts towards their relationship. Leonard ensured to make Walding get the same butterflies in her tummy, just like when their relationship started. But this one time, he had broken all the expectations that swept Walding off her feet.

Back in March, it was a special day for Leonard’s sweetheart. Walding, who has pursued a public relations degree at Auburn University, was thrilled about her ‘last formal’ day. And how could her beau not be a part of it? The journey from Indiana to Auburn makes up 666 miles, and the round trip is 1332 miles. And Leonard covered it in a day. Pure couple goals, right? So, Walding could not stop flexing about it.

The proud girlfriend shared a picture with Riley Leonard. And the caption surely melted the fans’ hearts. Molly Walding wrote, “Bragging on him for a sec! He made time to come to my last formal in such a crazy season for him! Flew in Friday morning and flew out Saturday morning💛He’s the best!” If that’s not enough, here come some more examples of how Leonard has set the standards high. Walding came up with a post that captured the timeline of their relationship. She posted a picture that the couple clicked together on her first formal day and placed it side by side with the latest one. “He made it to the first & the last! That’s a win!!!!!! 👏🏻,” wrote Walding. From touchdowns to true love, Leonard’s been racking up the Ws.