Leon Keith Burns (September 15, 1942 – December 22, 1985) was an American football running back who played for two years in the National Football League. He played for the San Diego Chargers in 1971 and for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1972. He was drafted by the Chargers in the first round (13th overall) of the 1971 NFL Draft. He played college football at Long Beach State. He was elected to the 1970 College Football All-America Team by Pro Football Weekly and Newspaper Enterprise Association. Burns was shot to death in 1985 in an unsolved murder. In 1987, he was inducted to the Long Beach State Hall of Fame.