• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Larry Brown Sports

Larry Brown Sports

Brown Bag it, Baby

  • Home
  • Blog View
  • NFL
  • NCAAF
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • Media
  • Headlines
  • Podcast
FootballAl DavisCalvin JohnsonJaMarcus RussellLane Kiffin

Lane Kiffin says he wanted to draft Calvin Johnson, Al Davis took JaMarcus Russell

December 30, 2016 by Steve DelVecchio • Comments
FacebookTweetLinkedInRedditThreadsWhatsAppEmail
Lane Kiffin

Lane Kiffin’s first and only stint as a head coach in the NFL was very short-lived, and you could argue that one move destroyed any chance he had at succeeding. Of course, Kiffin claims that move wasn’t his choice.

In an interview with Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated, Kiffin discussed some of the past head coaching gigs he has held and the perception that he failed with them. While he didn’t say much about the Raiders, Kiffin did make one very interesting claim — that he wanted to draft Calvin Johnson in 2007 and late Raiders owner Al Davis forced him to take JaMarcus Russell.

He spends little time reflecting on the Raiders, other than pointing out he begged Al Davis to use the No. 1 pick on Calvin Johnson instead of JaMarcus Russell. Kiffin says Jeff Garcia had agreed to come to Oakland in free agency, and Davis based his Russell pick off evaluating the television copy of LSU’s Sugar Bowl blowout of Notre Dame. He shrugs: “The Raiders wasn’t that hard. Al Davis fires everybody.”

Johnson was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 draft. Behind him at No. 3 was Joe Thomas to the Cleveland Browns, and Adrian Peterson was taken at seventh overall by the Minnesota Vikings.

It’s always easy to look back at a draft and point out the mistakes a team made, but Russell is widely considered to be the biggest draft bust in NFL history. Heck, just look at what the former LSU star said recently to try to land another job. He really was that bad.

Had the Raiders drafted Johnson and gone with Garcia as their starting quarterback, there’s no telling if things would have gone differently for Kiffin. But if that truly is the case, you can’t blame the coach for wondering what might have been.

H/T Pro Football Talk


  • i want more great stories!

Sign up today for free and get the best sports content sent to your inbox.

You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.

.
LBS iPhone App
Get the App

Follow Us

Get instantly notified of the most viral news stories via Google!

  • Trending stories

Damian Lillard looks on

3 reported frontrunners emerging for Damian Lillard

4 days ago
Ben Shelton with a cupping mark

Why Ben Shelton has dark marks on his arm, shoulder

September 8, 2023 (Updated: February 11, 2025)
KaVontae Turpin on the practice field

Cowboys player arrested on drug and gun charges

6 days ago
Rafael Devers in the dugout

New unflattering rumor about Rafael Devers surfaces

4 days ago
Angel Reese in a jersey

Angel Reese fires back at Robert Griffin III over his Caitlin Clark claim

2 days ago

Sidebar

© 2025 · LB Sports Media Group Inc

  • X
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feed
  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Process
  • Staff Writers
  • Privacy Policy
Dedicated to the memory of Nevil Vega