JaMarcus Russell’s name comes up every year at draft time, as a cautionary tale about how bad a first overall pick can turn out. But Russell also wants NFL teams to consider him as a player who deserves another chance.
Russell told SI.com that he would like to play again, and he wrote a letter to every team saying so.
“As a former NFL player, I understand the daily grind that football operations can be,” Russell wrote. “I am prepared to be physically examined and to have my football IQ evaluated. I would sincerely like an opportunity to come to Dallas and meet with you and the coaching staff. I know that my name does not carry much weight in the NFL right now but I am more than the image that others have bestowed on me. I’ve been labeled as a bust, I have been labeled as lazy and I have been the target of many insults by the media. The blame for any negative press that I’ve received rests squarely on my shoulders.”
Russell says he’d be a water boy if that’s what it took to get a shot in the NFL, and that he’d run the scout team for free.
“You might see me back,” Russell said. “You never know.”
The reality is, we know: JaMarcus Russell will not get another chance at the NFL. Russell hasn’t played since 2009, when he threw three touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. Russell is done in the NFL, even if he doesn’t realize it.