Re: Jamarcus Russell attempting a comeback
Here is the breakdown of Russell's downfall:
- Russell goes to LSU, becomes a really talented and physically gifted QB. Finds considerable success at the college level.
- Russell throws a ball 60+ yards from sitting on his rear end during the NFL combine. Al Davis gets a woodie from watching it over and over on his DVR. Al thinks this will be a great fit. Big arm and deep ball for Davis' extreme addiction to track stars faking it as WR's in the NFL. The likes of Mel Kiper and other analysts hype him up too.
- The new collective bargaining had not happened yet, therefore rookie contracts are still insanely high and over priced.
- By now Russell knows he's probably going top 10 if not top 5.
- Russell gets drafted number 1 overall by Al Davis. Al's fantasy has come true. Deep ball for his track stars fronting as WR's. Russell signs a 61 million dollar contract.
- Russell is handed a check for 32 million dollars up front. Al says "here Kid, this is yours right off the bat, whether you can actually get the job done or not." With the stroke of Al's pen, Jamarcus goes from a broke college kid to the richest 20 year old in the NFL.
- Russell's "boys" now become the typical "we are all gettin' pizzaid" enterouge. Russell realizes he already has half his contract in the bank. Looses sight of the bigger picture- actually playing, working hard and playing well in the NFL.
So to sum it all up, this is what I net out on certain players like Russell and those old contracts they used to get....
Everyone is different. Different upbringing, around different people, certain people going into the NFL literally went from being poor to being rich. Some others kind were already doing okay before they got their bloated rookie contracts. Look at Russel vs someone like Stafford. While Stafford got a big payday and its by far more money than he or probably his family had ever seen, that kid grew up in the burbs (Highland Park, one of the wealthiest suburbs of Dallas), had two parents, probably instilled certain things in him at an early age and to be honest I dont think his family was actually hurting for money before he even played college football. So for him, the transition from having "some" to having a lot, is different from Russells situation of probably having absolutely nothing to having a lot. Add that big contrast and sprinkle in probably less than desirable "crew" around him, throw in 32 million up front he doesnt even really have to work for and you had a recipe for disaster day one.
It makes you wonder though, what if Russell had been drafted in like the third round and went to a team with a good starting QB already? What if he was forced to earn his starting job and was getting a third rounder contract when he was drafted? Makes you wonder what kind of player he would have turned out to be.
Whether people want admit it or not, so many things factor in whether or not someone is going to be a bust and not live up to expectations, or just be a bad representative of the NFL. I don't even think it's as much a class thing as it is just on a case by case basis who you have around you, what they are telling you, your own metal fortitude to see how susceptable you are to the wrong people being around you and so on. Look at Pacman Jones. Dude is super talented. He even has a good work hard ethic, but he couldn't leave the party life alone. Russell wasnt as much of that type of the dude in the NFL as he was just thinking he was better than he really was. His contract told him he didnt have to work hard, or at least that was HIS intepretation of it. We can even look at smaller cases. Gradkowski or however you spell his name. Dude could the TE to carry the torch Shannon Sharpe and Tony G (two CLASS ACTS WITH HOF TALENT) have passed to him. He's got the looks, the skills, etc. He could be the Tom Brady of TE's.. the problem is he doesnt have Brady's or Sharpes or Tony G's personality. You could basically cast Gradkowski as the "frat boy" in the next season of The Real World.
Back to Russell though. I think if he got down to like 260, and let someone like a John Gruden kick his butt for a whole off season, and THEN put him on the RIGHT TEAM, with the RIGHT PERSONELL (not giving up a roster spot yet), I think he could be one of those dudes that while will never be that franchise starter might have to come in due to injuries and actually have a game or two of 250 yrds and 2 TD's... but I think most positive outcome for his comback would be just a roster spot on a team, but he wont be playing at all unless injuries hit. Worst case scenario? This all just blows up and we forget about him... for a second time.
Here is the breakdown of Russell's downfall:
- Russell goes to LSU, becomes a really talented and physically gifted QB. Finds considerable success at the college level.
- Russell throws a ball 60+ yards from sitting on his rear end during the NFL combine. Al Davis gets a woodie from watching it over and over on his DVR. Al thinks this will be a great fit. Big arm and deep ball for Davis' extreme addiction to track stars faking it as WR's in the NFL. The likes of Mel Kiper and other analysts hype him up too.
- The new collective bargaining had not happened yet, therefore rookie contracts are still insanely high and over priced.
- By now Russell knows he's probably going top 10 if not top 5.
- Russell gets drafted number 1 overall by Al Davis. Al's fantasy has come true. Deep ball for his track stars fronting as WR's. Russell signs a 61 million dollar contract.
- Russell is handed a check for 32 million dollars up front. Al says "here Kid, this is yours right off the bat, whether you can actually get the job done or not." With the stroke of Al's pen, Jamarcus goes from a broke college kid to the richest 20 year old in the NFL.
- Russell's "boys" now become the typical "we are all gettin' pizzaid" enterouge. Russell realizes he already has half his contract in the bank. Looses sight of the bigger picture- actually playing, working hard and playing well in the NFL.
So to sum it all up, this is what I net out on certain players like Russell and those old contracts they used to get....
Everyone is different. Different upbringing, around different people, certain people going into the NFL literally went from being poor to being rich. Some others kind were already doing okay before they got their bloated rookie contracts. Look at Russel vs someone like Stafford. While Stafford got a big payday and its by far more money than he or probably his family had ever seen, that kid grew up in the burbs (Highland Park, one of the wealthiest suburbs of Dallas), had two parents, probably instilled certain things in him at an early age and to be honest I dont think his family was actually hurting for money before he even played college football. So for him, the transition from having "some" to having a lot, is different from Russells situation of probably having absolutely nothing to having a lot. Add that big contrast and sprinkle in probably less than desirable "crew" around him, throw in 32 million up front he doesnt even really have to work for and you had a recipe for disaster day one.
It makes you wonder though, what if Russell had been drafted in like the third round and went to a team with a good starting QB already? What if he was forced to earn his starting job and was getting a third rounder contract when he was drafted? Makes you wonder what kind of player he would have turned out to be.
Whether people want admit it or not, so many things factor in whether or not someone is going to be a bust and not live up to expectations, or just be a bad representative of the NFL. I don't even think it's as much a class thing as it is just on a case by case basis who you have around you, what they are telling you, your own metal fortitude to see how susceptable you are to the wrong people being around you and so on. Look at Pacman Jones. Dude is super talented. He even has a good work hard ethic, but he couldn't leave the party life alone. Russell wasnt as much of that type of the dude in the NFL as he was just thinking he was better than he really was. His contract told him he didnt have to work hard, or at least that was HIS intepretation of it. We can even look at smaller cases. Gradkowski or however you spell his name. Dude could the TE to carry the torch Shannon Sharpe and Tony G (two CLASS ACTS WITH HOF TALENT) have passed to him. He's got the looks, the skills, etc. He could be the Tom Brady of TE's.. the problem is he doesnt have Brady's or Sharpes or Tony G's personality. You could basically cast Gradkowski as the "frat boy" in the next season of The Real World.
Back to Russell though. I think if he got down to like 260, and let someone like a John Gruden kick his butt for a whole off season, and THEN put him on the RIGHT TEAM, with the RIGHT PERSONELL (not giving up a roster spot yet), I think he could be one of those dudes that while will never be that franchise starter might have to come in due to injuries and actually have a game or two of 250 yrds and 2 TD's... but I think most positive outcome for his comback would be just a roster spot on a team, but he wont be playing at all unless injuries hit. Worst case scenario? This all just blows up and we forget about him... for a second time.
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