Giving his side of the story on a bevy of topics, former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell had plenty to say recently. Writing his own personal recollection of everything from his time at LSU to his final day with the Raiders, Russell was featured in the Player’s Tribune.
Chief among those topics is one that carries a degree of taboo. Something that’s typically the seedier part of the game: drugs.
JaMarcus Russell, Painkillers, and Drank
No one will ever confuse Russell for a saint. However, drugs are an undeniable part of the game of football, particularly painkillers. Russell isn’t necessarily getting a pass, but he brought up several points worth mentioning that merit further discussion.
“The funny thing is, I never liked painkillers.”
Russell recounted a time during his LSU days when he consumed “drank,” a popular beverage at that time that contained cough syrup. He did this to help cope with his painful injuries while having to attend class. In retrospect, that wasn’t the norm unless you came from a poor background, as Russell alludes to. On the other hand, access to painkillers at both the collegiate and NFL levels is quite practical; it’s not exactly a black market.
“In college and the NFL, they were handing that s*** out like Skittles. But I didn’t like the way they made me feel. So, I handled it my way.”
As Russell mentions, his school would’ve likely been more accepting had he taken some pills instead of resorting to a drink made up of codeine, alcohol, and promethazine. An illicit drink, sure, but it also reveals the double standard of drug use in the game.
“[Do] you know what’s crazy to me? If I had three or four pills in my pocket, nobody would’ve batted an eye. I ain’t no saint, but come on, man. They shoot your ass up with the strongest painkillers on earth just to get you out on the field. But you’re drinking some cough syrup and now you’re a criminal”?
Russell was indeed punished for it, though the incident was kept quiet, and it was business as usual for LSU and its quarterback. Unfortunately for Russell, his use of that beverage would follow him through the rest of his football career. It was often regarded as one of the reasons he was a bust in the NFL.
Drugs and the NFL, but Raiders fans still hate him
There were several reasons that led to Russell’s failures in the NFL. Whether him consuming a beverage is one of them is certainly debatable. Raiders fans might hate his guts for his inability to deliver on the field, but the man highlights an ugly part of the game.
“We all got ways to cope. Some are taking pills, some [drinking] syrup, some drinking heavy, some smoking weed. S***, some even snorting cocaine. One way or another, you’re [going to] numb the pain.”
Russell had his own way of coping with NFL life. Was it better than taking painkillers or worse? That’s not really for us to decide, though people didn’t have trouble burying Russell for it back in the day.
Drug use in the NFL isn’t exactly breaking news. However, it’s often swept aside, like an unspeakable truth, if you will. We all know it goes on, but God forbid anyone dared bring it up. The pain that football players endure is downright scary, from broken bones to head trauma, all while still having to deliver on Sundays.
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*Top Photo: Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images