JaMarcus Russell is attempting a comeback

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JaMarcus Russell is attempting a comeback

Postby Tenebrous » Tue Jan 22, 2013 11:56 pm

NFL draft bust JaMarcus Russell is attempting a comeback
By Kristian Dyer | Shutdown Corner – 2 hours 3 minutes ago
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(AP)
One of the biggest draft busts in NFL history is trying to re-kindle his football career. Yahoo! Sports has learned that JaMarcus Russell is planning a comeback attempt that he hopes will see him play in the league again. The former No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL draft has not played a single NFL snap since the 2009 season with the Oakland Raiders.

The reclamation of Russell will follow a tricky road for a quarterback who was always known more for his physical blessings than technique. Russell, 27, who has effectively been out of football since tryouts with the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins in 2010, might find overcoming himself his biggest challenge. Currently at 308 pounds, Russell is down from the 320 pounds he weighed this past fall and has been focusing on cardio conditioning the past six weeks to lose the weight.

“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 said.

“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 show them I’m not. I’m committed to this now.”

Yahoo! Sports has learned that Russell’s mentor through this whole process is former NFL wide receiver Mike Clayton, who like Russell is a LSU product. Over the next couple months, Russell will be training with Brian Martin of TEST Football Academy and TEST West, whose draft products include Joe Flacco and Patrick Peterson among others. In addition, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia (quarterback technique training), Olympian Ato Boldon (speed training and analysis), Dr. Robert Price of Elite Minds (mental and psychological analysis), former NFL wide receiver Quinn Early (disciplinary work and focus), former New York Giants quarterback Scott Brunner (reading defenses and classroom sessions) and NFL Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk (reading defenses) will work as part of the team trying to reclaim the quarterback’s promise.

A former top pick, Russell never fulfilled his boundless athletic promise, including a 6-foot-6-inch 265 pound frame that looked more like that belonging to a tight end than someone under center. Complicating a comeback from a less than storied NFL career is the fact that Russell will need to overcome the negative perception stemming from his July 2010 arrest for codeine syrup without a prescription.

He has taken steps to make amends for his mistakes, including frequently speaking to youth groups about his poor choices and arrest.

“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.”

Looking back, I believe I may have been too hard on Russell. Crazy, right? Well, consider that his time in Oakland was with Knapp and Knapp made Carson Palmer & DMC essentially disappear (only 4 wins) - essentially, Knapp managed to, not only weaken, but absolutely kill an offense that was starting to hum just a season ago.

Now, imagine being a top rookie, a big drop back passer, having a coach who prefers more mobile quarterbacks and who seems utterly incapable of adjusting his offense to fit the strengths of his players - then imagine being thrown into games like that.

To be sure, I am not stating that Russell has zero culpability, but, in a sense, it was the perfect storm. Russell had a lot of pressure on him, he had his father figure die as I recall, and then he had Knapp.

To what extent was it Knapp or Russell, I am not sure, but Knapp could not have helped the situation. In short, they were victims of each other - neither capable of changing, but that is more on Knapp who should have properly adjusted his offense.
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Re: JaMarcus Russell is attempting a comeback

Postby 790thSFS » Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:28 pm

russell should have never been a top 10 pic anyway. He had a good game against a sorry ND defense and all the sudden he was a No. 1 pick. When did Al ever pick a qb with the 1st rd pick before russell? The Snake? He had the no. 1 pick and was all over the russell bandwagon. Russell making a comeback is a total joke. Dude was always known to be a lazy ass even before the draft. Went to the combine all fat. This dude is a joke and we are the laughing stock cuz we picked him.
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Re: JaMarcus Russell is attempting a comeback

Postby Tenebrous » Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:55 pm

RAIDERS wrote:russell should have never been a top 10 pic anyway. He had a good game against a sorry ND defense and all the sudden he was a No. 1 pick. When did Al ever pick a qb with the 1st rd pick before russell? The Snake? He had the no. 1 pick and was all over the russell bandwagon.

Agreed.

RAIDERS wrote:Russell making a comeback is a total joke. Dude was always known to be a lazy ass even before the draft. Went to the combine all fat. This dude is a joke and we are the laughing stock cuz we picked him.
Maybe, maybe not - people make mistakes and can change.
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Re: JaMarcus Russell is attempting a comeback

Postby snakebuck » Wed Jan 23, 2013 1:33 pm

What idiot is going to even try him out? Just go back to mamma in Bama and leave the rest of the world alone dude! You're a hugh disappointment and I'm done with your ass!
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Re: JaMarcus Russell is attempting a comeback

Postby Del » Sat Jan 26, 2013 1:21 am

Too talented not to get at least a couple workouts.
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