JaMarcus Russell meets NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after he was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the top pick of the 2007 NFL Draft.(Photo: AP/Jason DeCrow)
You can’t blame anyone other than 2007 top overall pick JaMarcus Russell for his flameout from the NFL after only three seasons. The recipient of $31.5 million in guaranteed money as a rookie, it’s been hard to paint the LSU product as someone to feel sorry for in the past.
ESPN and Tom Rinaldi managed to do a pretty decent job of it[1] during a 12 minute feature on the former Oakland Raiders quarterback, detailing the quarterback’s rise, fall and his current attempt to get another shot at the NFL[2]. There’s always something tragic about squandered talent. Russell, who appears much older than his 27 years, seems to finally grasp what he let get away.
While the piece shows plenty of images of Russell sitting atop a cliff and thinking while staring into the ocean, it also highlights his recent training with former teammate Jeff Garcia, where he’s now shed 40 pounds from his 6-foot-6 frame. But it’s Russell’s regret that is the most poignant part of the story, as highlighted by these five gripping moments.
1) One of the first images we see is Russell crying, talking about how his deceased uncles would be proud to see him once again “doing what he loves to do.”
2. “There’s a guy with all this money. But just because you have all this money doesn’t mean you’re not human.”
3) Raiders fans burn effigies of Russell’s jersey
4) Russell’s mom calls his 2010 arrest for possession of codeine syrup the “worst day of her life”
5) The visual of an obese Russell (apparently at 315 pounds) at the beginning of his comeback try.
If you’ve got 12 minutes, the entire video is certainly worth a look.
References
- ^ managed to do a pretty decent job of it (www.youtube.com)
- ^ current attempt to get another shot at the NFL (www.usatoday.com)
