Tag: JaMarcus Russell

Former LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell fired as high school assistant coach amid lawsuit over $74,000 donation

JaMarcus Russell faces a lawsuit after allegedly taking a $74,000 check meant to be a donation to the school.

Former LSU quarterback [autotag]JaMarcus Russell[/autotag] has been fired from his role as a volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama. Russell is also facing a lawsuit over taking a $74,000 check meant as a donation to the school.

According to a report from ESPN, Russell solicited a local business owner for the check to help the school’s football team purchase equipment for the weight room. The school allegedly never received that check with Russell reportedly depositing it in a credit union account and later withdrawing $55,000 of it.

Russell is not permitted on campus and was turned away after he attempted to attend an event for the football team, according to ESPN.

A quarterback at LSU from 2003-06, Russell was the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft for the Oakland Raiders. He played just three seasons before exiting the league, however, and he’s widely regarded as one of the biggest draft busts of all time.

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Former No. 1 pick JaMarcus Russell sued over allegedly taking $74,000 check intended for alma mater

JaMarcus Russell is in trouble over a check intended to be a donation to his high school.

The story of former No. 1 overall NFL draft pick JaMarcus Russell has taken another twisted turn.

According to WKRG, the quarterback is being sued for depositing and cashing a $74,000 check intended for Williamson High School (Mobile, Ala.), his alma mater, in July of 2022.

Russell, the No. 1 selcetion in 2007 out of LSU, was removed from his position as a volunteer assistant at Williamson in the middle of the 2023 season.

“JaMarcus Russell was relieved of his volunteer coaching duties at Williamson High School during the fall of last year,” Mobile County Public School officials told WKRG Sports.

Chris Knowles, who wrote the check, told WKRG Russell approached him about a donation to the school.

After writing the $74,000 check out to Russell, Knowles said he later stopped payment on the check when Russell wouldn’t provide a receipt of the donation and quit returning his phone calls.

Navigator Credit Union is suing Russell for a portion of the check, nearly $55,000, paid to him by mistake on the same day of the deposit. The lawsuit, filed in March 2023, says the money was ‘lent’ to Russell by the credit union at his request.

The case is set to go to trial in October.

Russell, meanwhile, showed up at an off-campus event Williamson players were attending, WKRG reported, leading to staff members receiving a letter.

“Earlier this week, it was reiterated to Mr. Russell that he is not permitted to be around the football program or on school campus,” Mobile County Public School officials said in a statement to WKRG.

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JaMarcus Russell out as high school coach, sued for allegedly stealing donation to school

JaMarcus Russell, the former Raiders draft bust, has been sued for allegedly stealing a donation to a high school as a volunteer coach.

JaMarcus Russell, the former No. 1 overall pick of the Oakland Raiders and a former volunteer assistant football coach at Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama, was relieved of his duties in that capacity last season due to suspicions that he cashed a $74,000 donation to the school for his own use.

“JaMarcus Russell was relieved of his volunteer coaching duties at Williamson High School during the fall of last year,” Mobile County Public School officials told WKRG Sports.

The details, from WKRG:

According to court documents, JaMarcus Russell deposited and cashed a $74,000 check at Navigator Credit Union in July 2022.

Chris Knowles wrote the check.

He tells WKRG Sports Director Simone Eli that the money was a donation to the Williamson football program on behalf his business Selwonk Enterprises, a local building company.

Sources close to the Williamson program, with knowledge of the situation, say the Lions never saw any of the money.

Knowles said that Russell approached him in 2022 about making a donation to the school to help purchase weight-room equipment for the football program. Knowles later put a stop payment on the check when Russell wouldn’t provide a receipt for the purchases, and then wouldn’t return his phone calls.

However, Navigator Credit Union mistakenly paid Russell a portion of the amount — $55,000 — and is now suing Russell for that. Russell has since countersued Knowles for stopping payment on the check in the first place.

Russell was selected first overall in the 2007 draft out of LSU, and became one of the more unfortunate bust stories in NFL history. He finished his professional career in 2009, having completed 52.1 of his passes for 6.0 yards per attempt, 18 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. The six-year, $61 million contract he received from the Raiders is one of the primary reasons the NFL now has a rookie wage scale.

LSU QB Jayden Daniels wins the Manning Award

Jayden Daniels is off to the NFL. But first, he had one more collegiate award to win.

LSU quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] has moved on and is now preparing for the 2024 NFL draft, where he could be a top-three pick. But in the meantime, he had one more collegiate award to win.

On Tuesday, Daniels was named the winner of the Manning Award, named after the prominent Manning quarterback family and given to the top quarterback in the nation annually. Daniels becomes the third Tiger to win the award, joining [autotag]JaMarcus Russell[/autotag] in 2006 and [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] in 2019.

Daniels won a near clean sweep of the quarterback awards, missing out on only the Maxwell as he also won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 after leading the nation in total yards, touchdowns and passer rating.

Daniels is seen as one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft and is essentially a lock to go in the first round.

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Bryce Underwood’s commitment solidifies LSU atop the QB market

Bryce Underwood’s commitment solidifies LSU’s spot atop the QB market

Not that long ago, LSU was stuck in quarterback purgatory.

Throughout the [autotag]Les Miles[/autotag] era, LSU was stacked on defense and loaded up on skill position players. But that QB spot, it was tricky.

After [autotag]JaMarcus Russell[/autotag] was the best quarterback in the conference in 2006 and [autotag]Matt Flynn[/autotag] led LSU to a national title in 2007, Miles struggled to find a signal caller that moved the needle.

Sure, guys like [autotag]Jarrett Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] won a lot of games and in another era, they would have made perfectly adequate QBs, but the sport began to change.

As the sport grew more and more friendly to offense, you needed a professional quarterback. That doesn’t mean you needed [autotag]Cam Newton[/autotag], but at least someone like AJ McCarron, who was a Heisman finalist and remains in the NFL today.

LSU didn’t have that. Zach Mettenberger’s 2013 campaign was a step up, but it became an outlier. In 2014, LSU sat dead last in the SEC in passing yards and completion percentage. The passing attack remained near the bottom in 2015 too.

In 2016, it got a little better with [autotag]Danny Etling[/autotag], but LSU was still in the bottom half of the conference in passing yards and completion percentage while getting shut out in the Alabama game.

Miles was fired after four games in 2016. [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag] took over and he knew the deal. He had to find LSU a quarterback.

Well, he did just that. [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] transferred in and went on to win 25 games, a national title, and a Heisman trophy.

For the first time in years, LSU had a game-changer at quarterback. The narrative was flipped.

Burrow left and even as LSU struggled as a team in 2020 and 2021, the passing attack did alright.

Then [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] arrived with [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] in 2022. All Daniels did was become one of the most dynamic players in the country, helping LSU upset Alabama in 2022 and winning a Heisman in 2023 with a historically productive season.

That brings us to the present, where LSU just got even richer at the QB position. QB [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag], the top player in the 2025 class, committed to LSU last Saturday.

It’s the first time in this era LSU’s landed a quarterback like Underwood. LSU’s signed some legit blue-chips, including [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], but this is the first time LSU’s landed the guy. I’m talking about someone with the hype of Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields.

Five years ago, LSU wasn’t even competing for these types. The true five-star QBs were all going to Alabama and Clemson, places with a track record of legit offenses.

With Underwood’s pledge, LSU’s 2025 class includes the top quarterback, wide receiver and running back. When recruits think of LSU now, they think of offense.

With Nussmeier on deck for 2024, the trend should continue. Offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] is gone, but LSU’s staff remains well-positioned with assistants [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag], [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag], [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag] and [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag].

That’s what Underwood is buying in on. Recruits now see a program that’s developed two Heisman quarterbacks in the last five years.

LSU is out of quarterback purgatory, and perhaps there’s no bigger signal of that than Underwood’s commitment.

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The best performance from every starting LSU quarterback this century

From Josh Booty to Jayden Daniels, here’s every LSU signal-caller from this century’s shining moment.

The story of LSU quarterback play this century has been something more resembling a Shakespeare play than a group of football players.

You have all the pieces for a great story. You have your superstar talents, like [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] and [autotag]JaMarcus Russell[/autotag]. You have the guys that were late-round picks but still won titles, like [autotag]Matt Flynn[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt Mauck[/autotag].

You have [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jarrett Lee[/autotag], two guys who won a lot but caught a lot of flack from fans. Don’t forget signal callers like [autotag]Zach Mettenberger[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Etling[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] — veteran transfers who proved to be critical additions.

And that’s not even the end of it.

Here, we’re looking at the best game from every LSU starting quarterback this century. Let’s not waste any more time and jump right in, beginning in the year 2000.

JaMarcus Russell’s all-time Alabama high school passing yards record has been broken

Russell’s domain over the AHSAA record book has come to an end.

[autotag]JaMarcus Russell[/autotag] played for Williamson High School in Alabama where he finished holding nearly every passing record possible in the AHSAA (Alabama High School Athletic Association).

In five seasons at Williamson, Russell threw for 10,744 yards. That record has stood for 20 years (Russell graduated in 2002) and not many people have come close to breaking it, but it was finally broken on Friday night.

Jack Hayes is a 5-foot-11, 200-pound quarterback from Piedmont, Alabama, where he plays for the 3A powerhouse Piedmont Bulldogs. In four years as the starting quarterback at Piedmont, Hayes has played in two state championship games (he won the MVP in both games) and has a career record of 51-7.

In the state semifinals, the Bulldogs took on the Sylvania Rams at the “Field of Champions,” and Hayes entered the game needing only 99 years to break the record for career passing yards. Hayes finished the game 10-for-14 passing for 269 yards and four touchdowns as well as rushing for 96 yards and three touchdowns.

He still has one more game to go as the Bulldogs play against St. James in the 3A state championship game in Jordan Hare Stadium this Thursday. In case you are wondering if Hayes has received many looks from colleges after putting up incredible numbers during his career, the answer is no.

It seems like recruiting is all about size these days, and as a guy that is under 6-foot at quarterback, Division I schools are overlooking him despite winning two state championships, two state championship MVPs and 3A Back of the Year.

He isn’t just an outstanding football player, though. Hayes is incredible on the baseball diamond. He is currently committed to Snead State Community College to play baseball after his senior season.

To give you a rundown on how good he is on the diamond, Hayes batted .472 last season with 11 home runs, 17 doubles, a .565 on-base percentage, .878 slugging percentage, and a 1.444 OPS. On the mound, he went 8-0 in 10 appearances with a 1.08 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. He struck out 49 batters in 51 2/3 innings.

His AHSAA career records stand at 10,944 passing yards, 14,809 total yards, 159 touchdown passes, and 219 total touchdowns.

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COLUMN: When LSU meets Auburn, logic doesn’t apply

This rivalry has featured some wild finishes over the years.

October 8, 1988. Auburn traveled to Baton Rouge at 4-0 as one of the best teams in the country. LSU, led by [autotag]Tommy Hodson[/autotag] and [autotag]Tony Moss[/autotag], was 2-2 coming off two consecutive losses.

Down by six in the final minutes, Hodson found [autotag]Eddie Fuller[/autotag] in the back of the endzone to tie the game. As the story goes, Tiger Stadium lost its mind. The noise was so loud, that it registered on a nearby seismograph.

LSU won 7-6, and that has since become known as the “Earthquake Game.”

Almost a decade later in Jordan-Hare Stadium, there was “The Night The Barn Burned.” As a fire raged across the street, LSU beat No. 13 Auburn, 19-15.

Then there was 2005. LSU was ranked in the top 10 and hosting an Auburn team that was undefeated in conference play. Auburn took the lead late in the fourth, only for LSU to come back and tie it with a [autotag]Colt David[/autotag] field goal. The game went to overtime, and [autotag]JaMarcus Russell[/autotag] and LSU came out on top.

What about 2007? Much like 2005, Auburn took the lead late in Baton Rouge and LSU would once again need some last second heroics.

As the clock wound down, [autotag]Matt Flynn[/autotag] found [autotag]Demetrius Byrd[/autotag] in the corner of the endzone. It would go on to be one of the most important plays on LSU’s run to a national title.

We’ve had our fare share of stunners in recent years, too.

A trip to Jordan-Hare in 2016 would be the last one [autotag]Les Miles[/autotag] would make with LSU. A last second touchdown was called off, and Miles was fired the next day.

The following year, it was Ed Orgeron’s turn to take a stab at this rivalry. Auburn rolled into Tiger Stadium on a four game win streak.

LSU stumbled out of the gates, but a comeback highlighted by D.J. Chark’s punt return for a touchdown and Connor Culp’s go-ahead field goal gave Orgeron his first signature win.

The following year, now led by [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag], LSU went into Jordan-Hare and pulled off another comeback, capped off by [autotag]Cole Tracy[/autotag] putting one through the uprights as time expired.

When these teams get together, crazy things happen. The rules of logic don’t apply. The ground shakes, buildings burn, and coaches get fired.

No lead is ever safe, and the only certainty is chaos.

LSU isn’t Auburn’s biggest rival and Auburn isn’t LSU’s, but there’s been too many good games for this to not be one of the SEC’s best rivalries. It represents why we love this sport. Whether you’re at the stadium or watching on TV, you just might see something you’ve never seen before.

For better or worse, on and off the field, LSU and Auburn both never fail to entertain. The teams are slated to meet again this weekend. Bryan Harsin is fighting for his job on the plains as [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is just getting started in Baton Rouge.

LSU looks like it’s heading in the right direction, and Auburn looks like its going all the wrong ways.

LSU should win this game. It’s almost a double-digit favorite and it’s hard to remember the last time Auburn was this bad. On Saturday, none of that matters, because nothing about this rivalry is normal.

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Top 101 LSU football players of all time: No. 80-71

We continue to look at LSU’s greatest players, from a guy that fought in WWII to a dynamite QB-WR combo.

LSU football has been around for a long time. Since 1893, to be exact.

In that span, plenty of great football players have come through the program. Before we begin the journey of the 2022 season, I thought I’d take a stab at ranking the 101 best players in LSU history.

We’ve already released the player rankings from No. 101-91 and No. 90-81

I have tried to avoid recency bias as much as possible. It can be hard to get enough information about older players, but I did my best to get them about in the ballpark of where they should be.

Anytime there’s a list this big, people will disagree. There’s so little that separates the 50th player from the 70th, and so on.

I tried to balance consistency over multiple seasons with some players that had one great year. Both have been rewarded here. With that in mind, let’s continue the countdown.

JaMarcus Russell reflects on his failed NFL career

Former NFL draft bust JaMarcus Russell reflects on the Raiders: “I didn’t feel they were there for me”

In 2007, the then-Oakland Raiders selected LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in the draft.

That did not go well.

Over three NFL seasons, Russell completed 52.1% of his passes (354 of 680) for 4,083 yards, 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, and a passer rating of 65.2. His 2008 season was actually decent, as he completed 198 of 368 passes for 2,423 yards, 13 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a passer rating of 77.1. But in 2009. Russell was benched by head coach Tom Cable (who had replaced Lane Kiffin the year before), and the team released him in May, 2010. Aside from a few efforts to stay in the league, we never heard from Russell in an NFL context again.

Now known as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history, Russell  went through what happened on the latest episode of The Pivot Podcast with former NFL stars Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor.

(Warning: NSFW language)

“At LSU, my coach (Nick Saban in 2004, and Les Miles in 2005 and 2006) wanted to coach me,” Russell recalled. “[They] wanted me to do well. Others around me as well. In Oakland, I didn’t feel that. [Quarterbacks coach] John DeFilippo and [Offensive coordinator] Greg Knapp wanted me to succeed, but once we had a coaching change, everything switched.

“I didn’t feel like they were there for me. The guy they have there now, Derek Carr, they’re for him… They just went and got him a receiver [Davante Adams] that will catch anything thrown to him. If you put Tom Brady or Peyton Manning on one of those teams I was on, what do you think would happen?”

Well. The Raiders of that time were not stacked with superstars for Russell to target, but Zach Miller was a pretty fair tight end, and Louis Murphy was an underrated receiver for a while. Regarding Manning and Brady… well, how many times have we seen Brady in particular excel with less than spectacular receivers?

Russell also addressed questions about his work ethic, which was made apparent when his weight ballooned.

“I wasn’t doing crazy [expletive.] I was trying to chill, relax and win football games. Unfortunately, I wasn’t winning. I was dealt a bullshit hand. I was at practice and these guys couldn’t catch a reverse, much less a 90-yard bomb.”

As the conversation progressed, Russell at least started to take responsibility for his former professional failures.

“Everything that went wrong, I take fault in it. I’m not asking for a pity party from nobody, under any circumstances. What happened, happened. Let’s move on. Football doesn’t last forever. It gave me a great start on life. I’m not mad at nobody. I have no reason to be. Al Davis blessed me.

“I was a young kid. I was learning to be a professional athlete and a grown man. After that ended, I learned quicker because I had more time…I lost two uncles right before my rookie season started. I was [expletive] up. [Expletive] wasn’t going right. and it took a toll on me. Looking back now, I was reaching out for help.”

Crowder, Clark, and Taylor asked Russell about how it feels to be labeled ont of the biggest draft mistakes in pro football history.

“My [expletive] didn’t turn out how I wanted it to, or not how they expected it to,” said Russell. “But if you’re going to call me a ‘bust’, put ‘biggest’ on that [expletive] then. That does not bother me. That is not in my world. It doesn’t apply to anything I have going on.

“I regret that I wasn’t about to become the football player that I once wanted to be as a child. Some [expletive] like Dan Marino. I regret that I couldn’t be that guy. Forget who everyone else wanted me to be, it was about who I wanted to be for myself.”

How is the 36-year-old Russell doing now?

“I’m doing well and I’m living life,” he said. “Keep me in your prayers and I’ll keep you in mine. I don’t want for nothing. I haven’t for a long time and it’s going to stay that way. I might have played three years, but those three years are going to cover a lifetime and more.

“My pivot was after football, to becoming a human being again. You have to recalibrate that. I’m still working on becoming a better person day-by-day.”