After losing 30+ pounds, it looks like JaMarcus Russell may get his second chance in the NFL after all. The former LSU star, #1 overall pick for the Oakland Raiders in 2007, and one of the league’s all-time biggest busts has been out of the NFL since 2010.
Russell has spent the last several months working out with the likes of former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia with the hopes that he can get his weight down and his fundamentals refined. The talented but lazy signal caller had ballooned to well over 300 pounds.
Possessing one of the biggest arms in recent memory, Russell’s NFL career with the Raiders never took off, and he was routinely described as lazy and ill prepared mentally, emotionally, or physically. Several times over the course of his few years in the league, Russell and those around him claimed that he was turning the corner.
That never happened, and he was cut in 2010 with no suitors emerging for his services. However, with the first visible sign of change in Russell (the loss of weight) teams may be intrigued by the player with seemingly limitless potential. Many are expecting Russell to get his second chance soon.