JaMarcus Russell: Why He'll Be an Even Bigger Bust As a Second-Chance Project
JaMarcus Russell tried out for the Washington Redskins yesterday, and it was the first tryout of any kind for the former first overall draft pick in some time.
Russell struggled in Oakland before the Raiders finally cut bait with him, and things got worse for the quarterback after that. He's struggled mightily and is one of the biggest busts in recent memory, but it will only get worse if the Redskins or any other team take a flyer on the former LSU Tiger.
Inside are 10 reasons why he'll bust yet again with his next destination. Leave any thoughts in the comments, and if you think there's been a bigger recent bust than Russell, let it be known.
No. 10: Not A Leader
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The quarterback of a football team needs to be the leader, and that is far from what JaMarcus Russell is.
Russell just cannot inspire anyone to play to their highest ability, and there isn't one player in any locker room that would have faith in him to lead them to victory. Russell is synonymous with failure and he's an uninspiring figure to have running your offense.
I wouldn't expect many players being excited to see him.
No. 9: Immaturity
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It's clear that JaMarcus Russell never had the maturity level needed to succeed at the pro level.
He never accepted responsibility and always seemed to deflect blame for himself and always had a cop out answer for every tough question he was asked. If he did possess that level of maturity, he'd accept responsibility for his failings and try and learn from them.
That never happened with Russell, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
No. 8: Inaccuracy
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For his career, JaMarcus Russell's completion percentage is 52.1. That's not exactly what you'd call productive.
Russell just never showed that he had any sort of passing gene in his body, and he just cannot make the right read and the right throw. He's a mediocre quarterback with good physical skills but no mental capacity to make the most of those skills.
You can't fix that, no matter how much you try.
No. 7: Expectations
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When JaMarcus Russell came out of LSU and was drafted first overall by the Raiders, the franchise and its fans expected him to save the struggling team.
That's a lot to ask of one man. The Raiders have been the joke of the league for some time now and just now it looks like Oakland is pulling itself out of its funk. All of that was put on Russell's shoulders, and he was completely unprepared for that.
It wasn't fair to him, and it doomed him from the start.
No. 6: Overrated Out Of College
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Not a lot of people remember the circumstances in which JaMarcus Russell made the leap to the NFL.
This was the year after Vince Young put the Texas Longhorns on his back and won a national championship over USC. Then, Russell torched an overrated Notre Dame team in a BCS bowl game, and then as people were looking for the next Vince Young, Russell had a big game.
He wasn't even close to being the player Young was, and that threw him into the spotlight and rushed him out of college a year before he should have left.
No. 5: Past History
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Playing for Oakland in recent years doesn't exactly teach you how to be a successful NFL player. Just ask DeAngelo Hall, who had this to say about the Raiders and the culture within the franchise.
âI had no idea what it was like there until I got there,â Hall said to Yahoo Sports. âYou canât even really describe it. As soon as I got there, I could see right away that it was different. Things like the structure of football, the way you go about preparing and the attitudes and everythingâthey were just all [messed] up. There wasnât any direction. It was just really a lot of chaos.â
That's really all you need to know.
No. 4: Lack Of Confidence
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See that photo? JaMarcus Russell was all too familiar with that during his tenure with the Raiders.
He had no offensive line, he had no weapons and Darren McFadden wasn't the running back that he has turned into this year. It was Russell out on an island by himself, and no quarterback in the league could win with that team around him.
It's killed any confidence Russell may have had coming into the league.
No. 3: No Dedication
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JaMarcus Russell's name isn't exactly going to come up when you think about players who put in the extra work to be a great player.
Russell just tried to coast along and collect his paychecks but never really did the things that the Peyton Mannings and Tom Bradys of the league do that make them the great players that they are. Russell was lazy, plain and simple.
He's been called out for that before, and I'm sure it won't be the last time.
No. 2: Cough Syrup
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JaMarcus Russell was arrested for possession of codeine syrup this summer, and it didn't shock anyone.
Evidently, there had been whispers about Russell and the syrup for a long, long time and it matched up with the quarterback being treated for a lethargy addiction during his time in Oakland. That is a side effect of using the syrup, especially for an extended period of time.
He needs to get help, but I'm not sure that will happen.
No. 1: Weight Issues
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JaMarcus Russell isn't exactly what you'd call a lean, mean, throwing machine.
Russell has had constant problems with keeping his weight down and he's always out of shape and just not prepared to play football at a pro level. It shouldn't be hard for a pro athlete to stay in shape, but for Russell, it's a constant struggle.
I wonder what he weighed in at for the Redskins.
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