JaMarcus Russell wants to mount another comeback
JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft who hasn't played since 2009, said he will "play for free" if a team gives him another chance.
Russell was 7-18 as a starting quarterback, completing 52.1 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions and a passer rating of 65.2. The Oakland Raiders, who drafted him, released Russell in May 2010.
"God makes things happen for a reason," Russell said in a video for Sports Illustrated. "Who's to say? You might see me back. You never know, man. You never know. ... Whatever it is -- I can be a water boy and work my way into a scout team. It doesn't matter. I'll go play for free."
Russell reportedly sent letters to NFL teams last season asking for another chance.
"I am willing to lead the scout team for free for one year just to get experience in your system," Russell wrote in a letter to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, according to Sports Illustrated.
"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," Russell wrote. "I've been labeled as a bust, I have been labeled as lazy and I have been the targets of many insults by the media. The blame for any negative press that I've received rested squarely on my shoulders. ... My tribulations have humbled me. I am a better man because of my struggles, and I simply desire an opportunity [to] redeem myself. I do not want my legacy to be a trail of unfulfilled dreams and missed opportunities."
Russell has tried to mount a comeback before. In 2013, he worked out for the Chicago Bears. Russell had lost nearly 50 pounds and his conditioning was better than it had been at the end of his Raiders tenure, but his throwing was inconsistent. The Bears did not take him to training camp, and he didn't catch on with any other team.
