JaMarcus Russell Was No Saint in Oakland; Will He Land in New Orleans?

In January 2007, JaMarcus Russell was one Tiger who had the world by the tail.

He entered the Sugar Bowl on a hot streak, having guided LSU to six straight victories as quarterback of the No. 1-ranked offense in the Southeastern Conference. The 6'6", 252-pound Russell was a commanding presence both inside and outside the huddle.

Russell wowed NFL scouts with his rocket arm and surprisingly nimble feet.

He was not easy to hit and even tougher to bring down.

As the 2007 Sugar Bowl approached in New Orleans, rumors swirled that Russell would bypass his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. After he outdueled Brady Quinn and Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl with two 58-yard passes, one for a touchdown, and won MVP honors in a 41-14 victory, those rumors gained speed.

Said NFL draft guru Mike Detillier before the Sugar Bowl: "The amazing thing to me is JaMarcus is held in higher regard by the NFL scouts I've talked to than he is by a lot of LSU fans. Here's someone who is 24-4 as a starter, and you've got some people wondering why it's not a lot closer to 28-0. But that's the nature of the beast."

Against Notre Dame, Russell was the beast Charlie Weis and Notre Dame had no answer for.

Russell made it look easy that night, completing passes from every angle and direction, giving him 28 touchdown passes for the season and 52 in his LSU career.

He makes the kind of throws that leave scouts wanting more and more, Charlie! His upside is enormous!

"I feel I have the best quarterback in the country," said LSU coach Les Miles that night. "JaMarcus has great vision, great height, and is extremely accurate."

By April 2007, JaMarcus Russell was a very rich man as the Oakland Raiders made him the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

There was legitimate reason to doubt whether Russell could thrive in an organization owned by Al Davis, but most figured even Al Davis could not botch JaMarcus Russell.

It turns out Russell didn't need Davis to mess him up. He sabotaged himself.

The LSU star held out of training camp before signing a $68 million contract. This didn't sit well with Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin, who reportedly never wanted Russell anyway.

As a result, Kiffin did not rush to name Russell the starter, saying, "That way we can really control what he is doing, play for this set amount of time for this many plays. He doesn't have to have everything mastered."

Russell would never master anything in Oakland except shooting himself in the foot.

A high school football coach from New York told me when he lived in Oakland, Russell was notorious on the club scene, hanging out until the wee hours. That said, Russell never had run-ins with the law in his years in Cali.

Three years later, it was all over for JaMarcus Russell.

After reporting to camp overweight and out of shape, Russell finished the 2009 season with the lowest quarterback rating, lowest completion percentage, fewest passing touchdowns, and fewest passing yards in the NFL.

In April, the Raiders acquired Jason Campbell from the Washington Redskins, and they then cut Russell on May 6, leaving the former megastar a man without a team and no suitors, prompting some New Orleans fans to wonder if the former LSU hero might land on his feet in New Orleans to back up Drew Brees.

Although Brees' current backup Mark Brunell has expressed his desire to remain the No. 2 QB, the Saints have sent out clear signals that they want a new alternative to the 39-year-old Brunell. Team brass spoke with Jake Delhomme before he signed with Cleveland, and former Tulane star and Washington Redskins QB Patrick Ramsey auditioned for the team several weeks ago.

Saints head coach Sean Payton told the Times-Picayune in March that he still holds Brunell in high regard.

"He (Brunell) has been a huge addition for us and really a good sounding board for Drew (Brees)," said Payton.

Brunell himself said, "I feel confident I can still play at this level. My whole focus is to be on the team next year, but we'll have to see."

Although Brunell is the 26th all-time passing yards leader in NFL history, he turns 40 in September and has thrown only 30 passes since 2006.

As far as Russell, some NFL observers feel he should spend a year in the UFL sharpening his skills, but ESPN's Mike Golic does not necessarily agree.

Golic said this week on ESPN Radio, "He (Russell) needs help from all accounts in (game) preparation, in how to approach football, and there is a part of me that says as an (NFL) third stringer, you can find out a lot.

"I think there is something to being humbled (playing in the UFL), but I think being a third-stringer, and never seeing the field, and seeing how you can come back from that, I think may be more humbling than going to the UFL and being a starting quarterback," Golic added.

Obviously, Saints fans who long for Russell view him as a No. 2 QB and not a third-stringer.

Golic's comments reflect how far JaMarcus Russell's star has fallen in the national media. The sports talking heads don't believe any NFL team considers Russell anything better than a third-stringer these days.

Given Sean Payton's emphasis on players of high-character, some observers feel the Saints will never give Russell a serious look despite Nick Saban's contention that all Russell needs is an organization that can provide him with discipline and structure.

Fame is so damned fleeting.

It has been a steep tumble from those bright lights and Saturday nights at LSU in the fall.