NFL Draft Bust Vault: QB JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders

Sep 21, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; An Oakland Raiders helmet sits on the field before their game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

The late, great Al Davis fell in love with him.

Of course, those who follow the National Football League closely, former Raiders owner Al Davis wasn’t always reliable in the scouting department. Nonetheless, Davis had an eye for the big arm quarterback out of LSU.

When it comes to the curious case of JaMarcus Russell, it’s difficult to ignore what Davis and other NFL scouts liked about him. The large frame, the rocket arm, the winning pedigree. Until the time he was drafted, Russell played a major role in LSU going 22-4 in his final two seasons in Baton Rouge. It was easy to be drawn to Russell especially around Combine time when Russell scored height/weight measurables of 6’5 265 lbs with 32 inch arm length and a decent 4.7 40 time, which wasn’t that bad of a time for Russell himself.

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Before the 1st overall pick of the 2007 draft was announced, Russell was seen as a can’t miss prospect. An easy decision for the most part on behalf of the Raiders. Once he was selected, the trouble began. Although, it may have begun way before Russell’s name was announced…

Six years, $68 million dollars, $31.5 million guaranteed. With a “franchise” quarterback well compensated, a youthful head coach in place in Lane Kiffin, the team was headed in a better direction. Plenty of work remained on the agenda but a QB and a head coach were now in Oakland to guide the team down the right path.

Year one wasn’t as bright under the Russell era. First start ended in a loss at home against the San Diego Chargers but Russell tossed for 224 yards and a TD. Which was better than what he totaled a week prior at Jacksonville as he went 7-23, for 83 yards, one TD, one INT.

Year two saw a slight improvement. Maybe not in the win column as the team only racked up five wins yet Russell posted 2,423 yards and 13 TDs and what appeared to be an important step as quarterback.

“The large frame. The rocket arm. The winning pedigree.”

Once the 2009 season appeared, Tom Cable was going into his first full season as the head coach and the natural perception was that Russell was ready to turn the corner. During the season, Russell was benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski. Once Gradkowski got hurt, Russell filled in but instead of making him the new starter, coach Cable turned to Charlie Frye. The 2009 season eventually turned into the last season for Russell as a Raider.

The following offseason staged Russell to arrive to minicamps at an incredible 290 pounds, or in other words, grossly overweight. On May 6th, 2010, Russell was released by the Raiders for good. Russell tried to make a comeback attempt in 2013, yet fell short of that dream.

There is no debate that Russell is one of the biggest busts in NFL history. In some circles, he is the biggest. What places Russell and Ryan Leaf in the same bucket is simple: work-ethic. Neither one applied the right amount. In their cases, they assumed the given talent was good enough. No matter how gifted you are as a football player, Jamarcus Russell provides a perfect example of why it’s essential to apply the work to the game. If Russell did, where would he be today? Would he be a Super Bowl champ? Since he decided to skate by in life, we will never know.

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