Larry Brown Sports

JaMarcus Russell is attempting an NFL comeback, and he got a boost from an excellent piece ESPN aired on Sunday.

The story, which was called, “JaMarcus Russell, Waking Up,” did an excellent job humanizing Russell. In less than 12 minutes, the video powerfully tells the story of Russell going from top high school talent to No. 1 NFL draft pick to bust. It delves into Russell’s personal life and suggests that Russell’s poor 2009 season — which was his last in the NFL — was the result of his inability to focus and mourn following the death of two of his uncles, including one with whom he was close.

Quotes from Russell like, “Just cause you got money doesn’t mean you’re not human,” make you empathize with him.

His mother’s comments concerning the codeine arrest were equally moving.

“It was the worst day of my life,” she says. “All this hard work trying to raise him to be the right, productive young man, I just felt like I had failed.”

The video did an excellent job of transforming Russell from a punchline to a legitimately sympathetic figure, which was probably the goal. It attempted to explain why he failed in 2009, and why he deserves and is ready for a second chance.

Though the video did an excellent job making a sales pitch for a team to give Russell another shot, I can understand why teams would be skeptical of signing him. Russell had such a poor work ethic during his first stint in the NFL, it would be hard to believe he could do a 180.

But, kudos to Russell for at least attempting the comeback, getting his story out there, and not being bashful about admitting his past problems. Hopefully he remains in decent shape even if he doesn’t get another shot. We certainly wouldn’t want to see Russell at 315 pounds again, because that is not a good look for him:

JaMarcus Russell has been working towards attempting an NFL comeback, and it looks like he may get an opportunity to show teams what he can do.

According to CBS Sports’ Mike Freeman, a “number of teams” have been following Russell’s comeback “closely.”

Here’s what an NFL scout reportedly told Freeman:

“I’ve been following his comeback story pretty closely. I think a lot of teams are. Good chance he gets a second shot.”

Freeman says the reason some teams are interested is because there are not enough good quarterbacks out there. If Russell gets in shape and shows a new dedication to the game, some may feel he is worthy of a roster spot.

We initially laughed off Russell’s desire to make a comeback when we read he was weighing 308 pounds in January. He apparently has cut down about 30 pounds and is getting in decent shape.

Russell has not played since the 2009 NFL season. Even if he dedicates himself to being a hard worker and good citizen, I just don’t see him offering enough upside for a team to sign him. Let me just ask you one question: how would you feel if Russell played in a game for your team? If you’re cringing at the thought, then you know the answer.

Helmet smack to Pro Football Talk
Photo credit: Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

Just in case you didn’t think the New York Jets circus could get any nuttier, we have this nugget to pass along. According to Conor Orr of The Star-Ledger, the Jets have discussed JaMarcus Russell.

Russell was the No. 1 overall pick by the Oakland Raiders in 2007 and hasn’t played in the league since the 2009 season. He reportedly is interested in making a comeback, and the Jets have “had some very exploratory, informal discussions” about him, according to Orr.

Orr notes these discussions took place after GM Mike Tannenbaum was let go.

The Jets have said they plan to bring in competition for Mark Sanchez at quarterback next season. Who figured that it might be Russell?

I suppose it’s worth giving Russell a look at quarterback depending on who you are. If you’re an established organization that has a strong head coaching figure, it can’t hurt to see how Russell looks. But if you’re an out-of-control organization that lacks discipline and structure — ahem, the Jets — you stay as far away from this guy as possible.

Russell had a notoriously poor work ethic with the Raiders, an alleged codeine problem, and he is currently overweight. He is the last place the Jets should be looking for answers, but then again, this is the sort of thing that makes the Jets who they are.

H/T Evan Silva at Rotoworld

JaMarcus Russell is considered one of the biggest busts in NFL history, but the former No. 1 overall pick is hoping to change that.

According to Yahoo! Sports’ Kristian Dyer, Russell is planning to attempt an NFL comeback.

The former Oakland Raiders quarterback reportedly plans to work out with TEST Football Academy the next few months in hopes of getting another shot in the NFL. Russell is down to 308 from 320 pounds thanks to some cardiovascular training. He’s hoping to lose even more weight as he attempts a comeback (he was listed at 265 pounds when he played).

Russell sounds motivated and like he wants to change the perception of him.

“My first year out, I couldn’t watch football but after a while, I couldn’t keep the TV off. I got that itchy feeling but now I gotta watch it, gotta watch,” Russell told Yahoo! Sports.

“The last few years, the things going through my life, football is my job and it is how it feeds my family. People would say [that] I didn’t love the game but that pisses me off. People don’t know the real you but I want people to know the real me and see what I can do. People are always saying that I’m a bust. I want to show them I’m not. I’m committed to this now.”

Russell was drafted No. 1 overall by the Raiders in 2007. He went 7-18 as a starter and threw for 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions over three seasons. The Raiders released him in April 2010 and he had tryouts with the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins. Neither led to a job.

Russell indicates that being out of football feels odd for him.

“I’m not looking for a pat on the shoulder from people who haven’t been there for me,” Russell said. “It feels funny not to go through a training camp, that’s just what I’m used to. It’s going to feel good to go back out there again. I will make this happen.”

Russell had some legal problems after he was released by the Raiders. He was arrested for codeine possession without a prescription in July 2010. His life coach at the time, John Lucas, gave up on him after the arrest. In recent years, Russell said sleep apnea and bad coaching contributed to his struggles with the Raiders.

For the past four years or so, the Oakland Raiders have been bombarded with criticism for drafting one of the biggest NFL flops of all time in JaMarcus Russell. Much of the criticism has been thrown at JaMarcus himself — and rightfully so — but the Raiders have faced their fair share of ridicule for the pick. What we tend to forget, however, is that there are a number of other teams who would have made the exact same move. As former Ravens coach Brian Billick reminded us this week, Russell was seen by many teams as a sure thing.

“We did a pretty decent job (of drafting), and obviously they continue to do a phenomenal job in Baltimore, with Ozzie Newsome and his group,” Billick said on ESPN Radio according to Pro Football Talk. “JaMarcus Russell was the highest-rated player I’ve ever seen on any of our boards. So we all missed on JaMarcus Russell. Make no mistake.”

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 draft was Calvin Johnson and the No. 7 pick was Adrian Peterson, so in hindsight they clearly should have been the highest-rated players. Patrick Willis was taken 11th and Darrelle Revis 14th. As we all know, that is the nature of drafting in the NFL.

The Ravens had the 29th pick in 2007 and knew they were in no position to draft Russell, but Billick’s assertion is a reminder that Oakland was not the only team who was high on the former LSU star. If he was the highest-rated player Billick ever saw during his time in Baltimore, that means he was seen as more of a sure thing than guys like Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, and Eli Manning. In retrospect, the Raiders made the obvious choice and probably wish they would have had a lower pick.

Photo credit: Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

Cam Newton entered the NFL as one of the most critiqued prospects in the draft. He was scrutinized because of the investigation regarding charges that he got paid to attend Auburn. We got on him after he called himself an entertainer and icon. His character was destroyed in Pro Football Weekly’s draft preview. We even pointed out that he struggled to call an audible in Jon Gruden’s televised quarterback camp. That’s a lot of scrutiny for one player. But Cam says it’s the recent failures of JaMarcus Russell and Vince Young that ruined the perception of him.

“But I can’t sit up here and look at it like, oh man, my critics are racist,” Newton said to ESPN the Magazine. “I blame JaMarcus Russell and to some degree Vince Young. If you have the opportunity to make that kind of money doing something you love to do, why would you screw it up? I’m trying to be a trailblazer. If Baylor’s Robert Griffin decides to come out, I want people to say ‘He can be the next Cam Newton’ instead of ‘He’s gonna be the next JaMarcus Russell.’

“I had people who can’t throw a football telling me my mechanics were wrong,” says Newton. “I had people taking shots at my character, classifying me as a thug, as a hoodlum. After Week 3 or 4, all these same people wanted an interview. I said, ‘You were giving me all this crap and had so much to say about how I was gonna play, and now you wanna talk? No. Just sit back and watch the show, man.’”

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America’s favorite NFL draft bust is back and with better excuses than ever.  The same JaMarcus Russell who has been accused of binge eating, had his jersey burned by Oakland Raiders fans, and had his own life coach give up on him, sat down for an interview recently with Sports Illustrated.  As expected, he shared some interesting comments about his struggles.  Among the topics covered were the lack of support he received from the Raiders, and how the entire franchise seemed destined for failure.

“In the NFL, my first year, I had to be there at 6:30 before practice and be on the treadmill for an hour,” Russell told S.I.’s Jon Wertheim.  Then meetings come, I sit down, eat my fruit. We watch film, and maybe I got tired. Coach Flip [quarterback coach John DeFilippo] pulled me aside and said, ‘What are you doing for night life?’ I said, ‘Coach, I’m just chilling.’ He said, ‘I need to get you checked out.’ I did the sleep test, and they said I had apnea.”

Not that it was the main factor contributing to Russell’s lack of success, but if he really did have sleep apnea that could certainly affect his ability to prepare and put the proper amount of work in.  People always criticized his motivation and work ethic, so it would at least make some sense.

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