For some people, it’s LeBron Bond’s name that grabs their attention.
Bond knows his name can raise eyebrows. He is, in fact, named after NBA legend LeBron James. When people hear his name, they sometimes turn their heads or ask him to repeat it, to make sure they heard what they thought they heard.
But for others, it’s his the wide receiver’s speed that draws people in. Bond, in addition to playing football, runs track at Maury (Va.) High School. He competes in the short-distance sprinting events, with success: Bond finished first in the 100m (10.91 seconds) and the 200m (21.9 seconds) at the 2023 VHSL Class 5B Outdoor Region Championship. That 200m mark is his personal record, while he’s performed even better in the 100m, at 10.79 seconds.
That agility gives him an edge on the football field, and he’ll bring that speed to IU in 2025 after committing to the Hoosiers in April.
“It definitely helps with explosiveness and speed, that everybody doesn’t really have,” Bond told The Daily Hoosier in a phone interview. “Everybody can’t run 100 meters full speed like me. So I think I have a slight advantage over everybody. Track runners have a slight advantage over everybody.”
Bond, at 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, relies on that athleticism and quickness in his game. He sees himself as a versatile offensive weapon — part of why he likes playing receiver is the plethora of ways he can contribute, whether it’s creative route-running, screen plays, jet sweeps, or something else.
He thinks that will translate well to the Big Ten, and he’s excited for that challenge. He feels like he’s at his best in pressure moments. He showed that in December, during the VHSL Class 5 championship game against Stone Bridge.
In 2021, Stone Bridge defeated Maury for the state title on the final play of the game. That pain stuck with the players who remained from that game, including Bond. And early in this rematch, Bond set the tone. On the third play of the game, he caught a screen and took it 60 yards for a touchdown. Maury went on to a 45-34 victory to win the championship.
Bond called that his favorite play he’s ever made on the field.
“I watched everybody walk off the field crying and stuff (in 2021). Before the game (in December), I was crying a little bit,” Bond said. “When (the touchdown) happened, I just felt relief and I felt good.”
Bond, rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports Composite, chose the Hoosiers ahead of other top contenders Syracuse and Duke. Curt Cignetti and his staff never extended the wide receiver an offer while they were at James Madison, just three hours away from his hometown in Norfolk. Bond said he talked to the staff at JMU, but didn’t get the offer until they moved to IU.
Bond doesn’t know what changed for the staff, but said the staff made it clear he was a high priority once they did offer. And when he visited campus, he liked what he saw.
“I feel like that was the best facility I’ve been on, personally. I just liked everything about it,” Bond said. “I had everything so close by, if I had to go anywhere, like the facility is by the stadium and the practice field right beside it, so I really don’t have to walk far or nothing, everything is built in.”
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