Former Raiders Quarterback begins journey back into NFL.
After being selected with the #1 overall pick in 2007, LSU senior Jamarcus Russell was expected to lead the Oakland Raiders into a new era and take them to a Superbowl.
Check in to Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings
That was the plan anyway…
Russel signed a contract that would give the Quarterback $61m over six years, of which $32m was guaranteed. At the young age of 22, things then began to spiral out of control.
The 6ft 6in signal caller put little effort into training, his play on the field made him look like a High School player and his weight ballooned, so much so that he finished his time at the Raiders weighing-in at 290lbs, heavier than some of the offensive lineman guarding him.
The former college star was unceremoniously released from the Raiders in the Summer of 2010 having posted a 7-18 record as a starter, and has since been labelled one of the greatest draft busts of all time.
After three years in obscurity, Russell is ready for a comeback and a shot at salvaging his tattered career.
Bleacher Report have released a video showing former star going through very basic throwing routines, illustrating that he still has mechanics in which he can use when standing inside and NFL pocket. The video shows two other things:
1. Regardless of whatever conditioning work that has been done already, Jamarcus is still massively overweight for his position. In an era of mobile Quarterbacking, weighing 270 pounds is simply not going to cut it and Russell must work on that as much as his throwing abilities if he wants a team in the near future.
2. He clearly is determined to get himself a second chance. Although this is a very short video, one can only imagine that the LSU legend wants to prove himself and has enough self-belief to give it another shot. This will come across well on teams later on down the line, but right now, Russell needs to keep this enthusiasm and determination up, as it is still a long way from his goal of being back in the NFL limelight.
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