Jamarcus Russell says he was dealt a BS hand
doubledragon
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Jamarcus Russell talks about his failed NFL career and the stigma of being the biggest draft bust in NFL history.
JaMarcus Russell reflects on his failed NFL career
In 2007, the then-Oakland Raiders selected LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in the draft.
That did not go well.
Over three NFL seasons, Russell completed 52.1% of his passes (354 of 680) for 4,083 yards, 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, and a passer rating of 65.2. His 2008 season was actually decent, as he completed 198 of 368 passes for 2,423 yards, 13 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a passer rating of 77.1. But in 2009. Russell was benched by head coach Tom Cable (who had replaced Lane Kiffin the year before), and the team released him in May, 2010. Aside from a few efforts to stay in the league, we never heard from Russell in an NFL context again.
Now known as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history, Russell went through what happened on the latest episode of The Pivot Podcast with former NFL stars Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor.
“At LSU, my coach (Nick Saban in 2004, and Les Miles in 2005 and 2006) wanted to coach me,” Russell recalled. “[They] wanted me to do well. Others around me as well. In Oakland, I didn’t feel that. [Quarterbacks coach] John DeFilippo and [Offensive coordinator] Greg Knapp wanted me to succeed, but once we had a coaching change, everything switched.
“I didn’t feel like they were there for me. The guy they have there now, Derek Carr, they’re for him… They just went and got him a receiver [Davante Adams] that will catch anything thrown to him. If you put Tom Brady or Peyton Manning on one of those teams I was on, what do you think would happen?”
Well. The Raiders of that time were not stacked with superstars for Russell to target, but Zach Miller was a pretty fair tight end, and Louis Murphy was an underrated receiver for a while. Regarding Manning and Brady… well, how many times have we seen Brady in particular excel with less than spectacular receivers?
Russell also addressed questions about his work ethic, which was made apparent when his weight ballooned.
“I wasn’t doing crazy [expletive.] I was trying to chill, relax and win football games. Unfortunately, I wasn’t winning. I was dealt a bullshit hand. I was at practice and these guys couldn’t catch a reverse, much less a 90-yard bomb.”
As the conversation progressed, Russell at least started to take responsibility for his former professional failures.
“Everything that went wrong, I take fault in it. I’m not asking for a pity party from nobody, under any circumstances. What happened, happened. Let’s move on. Football doesn’t last forever. It gave me a great start on life. I’m not mad at nobody. I have no reason to be. Al Davis blessed me.
“I was a young kid. I was learning to be a professional athlete and a grown man. After that ended, I learned quicker because I had more time…I lost two uncles right before my rookie season started. I was [expletive] up. [Expletive] wasn’t going right. and it took a toll on me. Looking back now, I was reaching out for help.”
Crowder, Clark, and Taylor asked Russell about how it feels to be labeled ont of the biggest draft mistakes in pro football history.
“My [expletive] didn’t turn out how I wanted it to, or not how they expected it to,” said Russell. “But if you’re going to call me a ‘bust’, put ‘biggest’ on that [expletive] then. That does not bother me. That is not in my world. It doesn’t apply to anything I have going on.
“I regret that I wasn’t about to become the football player that I once wanted to be as a child. Some [expletive] like Dan Marino. I regret that I couldn’t be that guy. Forget who everyone else wanted me to be, it was about who I wanted to be for myself.”
How is the 36-year-old Russell doing now?
“I’m doing well and I’m living life,” he said. “Keep me in your prayers and I’ll keep you in mine. I don’t want for nothing. I haven’t for a long time and it’s going to stay that way. I might have played three years, but those three years are going to cover a lifetime and more.
“My pivot was after football, to becoming a human being again. You have to recalibrate that. I’m still working on becoming a better person day-by-day.”
Comments
Nope, Russell has nobody to blame but himself.
I didn’t even read what DD posted, I don’t need to. This clown was given BLANK tapes by a coach to see if he was actually studying and when asked about the tapes he made up some nonsense about what he studied.
Poor work ethic, Purple “Drank” and holding out for more money all fed into his failures.
Best of luck to him either way, he is probably grown up and is a good guy
It would not surprise me to learn that Jamarcus Russell is currently (and has been since he stopped playing in the NFL) residing in the small town he grew up in; living a simple life (possibly not having a full time job and living off of whatever remains of his NFL money); and hanging out with his immediate family, extended family and peers he grew up with reliving his glory days as a high school, college and professional football player.
He may also spend a fair amount of time hanging out at the local barbershop, just "chillin like a villian with his bling, bling spillin"
Well, if by BS he meant "Bacon and Sausage" he's probably correct. Never one to be in top athletic shape..........
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
MCDonalds coffee too hot. No one told me not to put super glue in my hair. We live in an age where no one takes responsibility for their own actions and wants to blame everyone besides the person in the mirror. I did some absolutely stupid sh%r as a youth and never blamed anyone but myself. I got fired from jobs because I was a terrible employee not because the company screwed me.
Unfortunately we also live in a time where you can sue a car insurance company because you got pregnant in the back seat.
We allow it, call it normal and are surprised when slackers take advantage of it. The inch given has turned into an absurd mile.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Actual case. A car co was sued as a woman got a STD in the back seat.
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How does Jamarcus Russell keep making the news, he just won't go away. He's like those Jehovah's witnesses that knock on your door and harass you.
That legal case hits close to home with me. The young lady who sued the car company was my sister-in-law. And yes she did get an STD.....but not in the back seat....the infection was transmitted in the front seat......minor detail..... She lost the case but from the before, during, and afterwards photos,....I think you can understand why she sued the car company....
Before entering car.....
In The Car.....
After exit from car....
Thank you for clarifying.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
..
I thought we agreed no more God or Jesus memes.
Agreed. Let's please stop with those.
It's a joke, a golden retriever Jehovah's witness meme. You guys know I joke around about everything, I'm not an evil Jesus hating person, I joke around about everything.
....
I know that you are making a joke. But the last time this happened, you apologized and said it wouldn't happen again. I don't feel as though you meant any harm. I realize that you didn't. I personally don't like God or Jesus being used in the joke. That's all.
.....Let's all be friends!
I apologize if I offended anyone with my Jehovah's witness retriever meme, I do not think it was necessary to scold me like a child in front of everyone about it. I think it's best if I stay away from here for a while, maybe visit stevek for a few weeks, feed some birds!
The irony here is that, in the McDonald's case, the woman involved (Stella Lybeck) DID take responsibility but McDonald's, who knowingly served an unsafe product, at a temperature far exceeding recommended temps, and had settled numerous other lawsuits, refused to take any responsibility for their own actions.
This is the part most people miss with that case. It was proven that McDonalds was serving coffee that was way over the normal or recommended temperature and that they did not care if the result of that decision was creating an unsafe or dangerous condition. If someone intentionally creates a risky situation by ignoring established standards or proper protocol, that person or party should be held accountable for their actions when the decision blows up in their face.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
...
If I could do this again, I would have just sent you a PM. I'm sorry.
I actually researched this awhile ago and was astonished at how much I reversed my opinion on this.
I was thinking the Woman was a scumbag for filing this lawsuit in the first place then I actually read the details.
She just wanted her medical bills paid if I remember correctly but McDonald’s were the ones who were the scumbags and wouldn’t do the right thing.
It’s a Very interesting read
@doubledragon said:
Double D, it was funny. You can’t worry about who gets offended by what, do your thing and if it’s a problem Todd will let you know.
Take a deep breath, pop In a fresh piece of Fruit gum and all will be good 👍🏼👍🏼
DD
I like Goldens and J. It was cute.
I have a favorite re jw.org but I'd get blasted if I posted it.
My response is always this - I don't care how careless somebody is... multiple skin grafts and an unbelievably burned groin area are not reasonable outcomes from spilled coffee*. No way, no how. Period.
I was just using this as an example of people not taking responsibility for their own actions. I didn’t think it would turn into a separate debate. Maybe not the best example to use
Let use the woman who put gorilla glue in her hair and tried suing them. Better?
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.