JaMarcus Russell never watched film in Oakland

[Cyder]

Not like it wasn't obvious.....

I've heard that story multiple times from quite a few people. I believe it. Earlier this year Carl Banks (Former Giant and now radio color analyst) told the story that last year Geno Smith lost his play book and didn't tell anyone until they told him he would be starting a game. Had Eli gotten hurt he would have gone in not knowing anything.

Some guys just don't give a shit

 

[Cyder]

Exactly! And my other hero is Buster Douglas. He was sitting around with his boys and said 'I think I can beat Mike Tyson'. Trained for a few months and got in the ring with an overconfident, out of shape Tyson and actually did win...then proceeded to get as fat as he possibly could for his title defense. Dude was close to 4 bills by the time he stopped fighting but he got a then record 24 mil in his fight after Tyson and he clearly did no training what-so-ever for that.

At the Holyfield/Douglas weigh in, Holyfield's manager started celebrating when Buster got on the scale.

 

[mcnabb7542]

Nobody should be shocked about this, he wasn't a very smart player......

 

[night]

I laughed when I read that but I’m also curious as to why this info is coming out now. He retired almost 10 years ago. Random.

I'm going to assume his ex-teammate Diehl was being interviewed about it?

 

[Mondo Jay]

That slug came off the bench in '09 to screw Denver out of a WC birth.

Yep, I'm almost over it.

#Purpledrank

 

[DonMan]

I've heard that story multiple times from quite a few people. I believe it. Earlier this year Carl Banks (Former Giant and now radio color analyst) told the story that last year Geno Smith lost his play book and didn't tell anyone until they told him he would be starting a game. Had Eli gotten hurt he would have gone in not knowing anything.

Some guys just don't give a shit

This is probably not uncommon. I remember a number of years ago, when Billy Joe Hobert had to play when the starter got hurt, and looked totally unprepared. A few days later, on a local TV show, he openly admitted had hadn't "done his homework". The next day he got released.

 

[richig07]

I laughed when I read that but I’m also curious as to why this info is coming out now. He retired almost 10 years ago. Random.

This has been out for a while. Since whenever ESPN did that story on him. I forget if it was an E60 or what...

I remember posts on it back when it came out years ago. I think the OP is just finding out about this story.

 

[redseat]

Yea the timing of this makes zero sense... Nobody cares. Raiders are still a dumpster fire.

Hence why they are releasing it now

 

[Debbie Does]

JaWalrus should have been given Lingerie League tapes and maybe he would have learned some football.

 

[Cyder]

This is probably not uncommon. I remember a number of years ago, when Billy Joe Hobert had to play when the starter got hurt, and looked totally unprepared. A few days later, on a local TV show, he openly admitted had hadn't "done his homework". The next day he got released.

It's one thing not to do homework, it's another to lose your playbook and not tell anyone.

 

[Pattersonca65]

I remember the one year he started and the Raiders were really bad that year. The players got together for a meeting to talk about things and Russell decided to go partying in Vegas instead.

 

[Rock Strongo]

Not like it wasn't obvious.....

Ha! Raiders Gave JaMarcus Russell Blank Tapes to See If QB Watched Film

 

[GhostOfPoverty]

Isn't JaMarcus Russell the guy who the Lions GM or whatever called up Al Davis to warn him not to draft him after he refused to even pay attention in a pre-draft interview in Detroit? All while risking Davis picking Calvin Johnson for the Raiders, despite the Lions desperately wanting Johnson to fall to #2 so they could take him?

The only reason JaMarcus Russell should ever come up in any NFL-related discussion nearly a decade after he washed out of the league now is to debate who was the bigger draft bust between him and Ryan Leaf. It's a tough call because they were both about equally terrible in the NFL. I'd say it's a tossup since Russell went #1 while Leaf went #2, but I'm pretty sure even Ryan Leaf had a few more teams fooled into believing his work ethic/attitude issues wouldn't be a problem in the pros than Russell did, who was just extremely lucky that the Al Davis run Raiders were picking #1 that year. I call him lucky for that because there's not a team he would have succeeded on in the entire league, so he might as well have gotten as lucky as possible with that #1 overall draft money back when then when players were paid much more for rookie deals based on draft number.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

The only reason JaMarcus Russell should ever come up in any NFL-related discussion nearly a decade after he washed out of the league now is to debate who was the bigger draft bust between him and Ryan Leaf. It's a tough call because they were both about equally terrible in the NFL. I'd say it's a tossup since Russell went #1 while Leaf went #2, but I'm pretty sure even Ryan Leaf had a few more teams fooled into believing his work ethic/attitude issues wouldn't be a problem in the pros than Russell did, who was just extremely lucky that the Al Davis run Raiders were picking #1 that year. I call him lucky for that because there's not a team he would have succeeded on in the entire league, so he might as well have gotten as lucky as possible with that #1 overall draft money back when then when players were paid much more for rookie deals based on draft number.

The thing about 1 vs. 2 is Leaf made it seem close between him and one of the best ever. Russell made it seem close between him and Brady Quinn.

I think that's why even at #2, I put Leaf higher. I remember Irsay talking about how tough it was and they were scouting both and wasn't until they asked them both "what would you do if we drafted you". And Leaf say celebrate the weekend in Vegas. And Peyton gave a Peyton answer (get the playbook, call his receivers and coaches, game film.... Maybe do a dozen quick commercials). Granted Leaf's agent said he didn't want to go to Indy, so he intentionally said things like that and skipped a meeting with Coach Mora to ensure he wouldn't go #1.

Anyways that's what I remember when it comes to those two. And someone saying that Leaf was so much better in the pocket (compared to the guy who's right there with Marino as the best pocket presence ever).

Manning was called "too serious", cerebral, lacking in physical ability... A Kosar type by some, whereas Leaf had the upside and a bit of that Favre personality to him when Brett was all you'd ever want.

Some of those old comparisons before the draft were great to read...

"The name of any big-time professional game is still talent, and Leaf clearly has more of it than Manning will ever dream of possessing."

I’d take Ryan Leaf,” Buffalo Bills general manager John Butler said. “I like the big, physical aspects about him. He’s got good mobility, and there’s something about him, kind of tough to say just what, just something that you like in a quarterback. They’re both talented players, but I give the edge to Leaf.”

 

[GhostOfPoverty]

The thing about 1 vs. 2 is Leaf made it seem close between him and one of the best ever. Russell made it seem close between him and Brady Quinn.

I think that's why even at #2, I put Leaf higher. I remember Irsay talking about how tough it was and they were scouting both and wasn't until they asked them both "what would you do if we drafted you". And Leaf say celebrate the weekend in Vegas. And Peyton gave a Peyton answer (get the playbook, call his receivers and coaches, game film.... Maybe do a dozen quick commercials). Granted Leaf's agent said he didn't want to go to Indy, so he intentionally said things like that and skipped a meeting with Coach Mora to ensure he wouldn't go #1.

Anyways that's what I remember when it comes to those two. And someone saying that Leaf was so much better in the pocket (compared to the guy who's right there with Marino as the best pocket presence ever).

Manning was called "too serious", cerebral, lacking in physical ability... A Kosar type by some, whereas Leaf had the upside and a bit of that Favre personality to him when Brett was all you'd ever want.

Some of those old comparisons before the draft were great to read...

"The name of any big-time professional game is still talent, and Leaf clearly has more of it than Manning will ever dream of possessing."

I’d take Ryan Leaf,” Buffalo Bills general manager John Butler said. “I like the big, physical aspects about him. He’s got good mobility, and there’s something about him, kind of tough to say just what, just something that you like in a quarterback. They’re both talented players, but I give the edge to Leaf.”

Maybe I'm remembering this wrong here, but wasn't Quinn considered a pretty big deal back when he was first coming out of college into the pros? Maybe not even pre-draft Peyton level, but if we're talking about expectations pre-drafts, I think Quinn busted almost as hard as Russell and Leaf except for the fact that he ended up falling to #22. But wasn't he still thought to be a pretty great prospect by a lot of the "experts"?