Former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell isn’t exactly beloved by fans; that’s putting it nicely. However, allegedly taking money meant to be donated to his former high school is a new low, even for the arguably greatest NFL draft bust of all time.
JaMarcus Russell: A Cautionary Tale?
According to ESPN, Russell was a volunteer coach at Williamson High School in his native Mobile, Alabama. Russell allegedly accepted a $74,000 check from local business owner Chris Knowles at Williamson High School, citing the school’s need for equipment. Wouldn’t you know it? The school never received the money, according to the lawsuit. No, Russell instead deposited the check. Afterward, he cashed out $55,000 at a credit union.
Maybe Russell was going to head down to the local Big 5 Sporting Goods and purchase everything himself?
The former Raiders signal-caller is now prohibited from being around campus; he obviously no longer coaches at the school. Without knowing too much of Mr. Russell’s finances, it’s certainly a massive (and sad) red flag if he felt the need to steal a donation. As reported in the piece, the man earned about $36.4 million in salary and bonuses for the duration of his NFL career. A career that didn’t amount to much. Both the Raiders and the entire league often remember Russell as the greatest draft bust in their history.
Russell and the Raiders were oil and water…
If there’s one thing that Russell isn’t associated with, it’s accountability. If you recall, he spoke up about his tenure with the Raiders on The Pivot Podcast in 2022. Rather than expressing regret or perhaps taking responsibility for his failed career, Russell blamed the Raiders. Mind you, he literally lied to the coaching staff about watching film when they sent him home with a blank tape—your typical game of “gotcha.”
He felt as if the organization never wanted him there. Who knows? Maybe there’s some truth there. The divide between former Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin and then-owner Al Davis over Russell is well known. Kiffin committing some sabotage against Russell wouldn’t then be far-fetched. After Kiffin’s firing, Tom Cable took over, but things didn’t improve for the former LSU product.
Either way, how do you go from playing in the NFL and getting a ridiculously lucrative contract to stealing from kids? That’s quite the fall, if true.
*Top Photo: Getty Images