Apparently trying to grab his share of all the negative press surrounding current and former NFL quarterbacks, Ryan Leaf threw his hat into the ring this week when he was indicted on drug and burglary charges in Texas.
Both charges are the result of Leaf, one of the most titanic draft busts in NFL history, trying to get his hands on prescription painkillers.
Myriad jokes have been made at Leaf's expense over the years, and he certainly brought much of the ridicule on himself. The Chargers drafted him No. 2 overall, one spot behind Peyton Manning, and Leaf almost instantly began melting down. Aside from being the colossal disappointment drafted after Manning, the only thing anyone will remember about Leaf's NFL career (if you can call it that) is his profanity-laced tirade directed at a reporter in the locker room during his rookie season in 1998.
As much fun as it can be to make fun of pro athletes who make asses of themselves, it was good to see Leaf take steps toward getting his life back on track when he was hired as quarterbacks coach for West Texas A&M University's football program in 2006.
Now, it would be easy to make more jokes. (Why does Leaf need the painkillers? It's got to be excruciatingly painful for Chargers fans to think about what a disaster he was.)
But even the most cynical among us have to just plain feel bad for the guy at this point.
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3 comments:
It is a bit sad, to be honest.
It's funny how Ryan Leaf is synonymous with being a huge bust, and he'll always be compared to Peyton Manning. But keep in mind that with the No. 5 pick that year, the Chicago Bears selected Curtis Enis.
He was the No. 1 RB taken that year and rushed for a whopping 1,497 yards in three seasons. And yet his bust status isn't on the same plane as that of Leaf. More damn double standards in the NFL.
Just realized, it's plain, not plane.
It's not really a double standard. Leaf is more memorable for a couple of reasons:
1. He was a quarterback, and nine times out of 10, quarterbacks get more credit and more blame (deserving or not) than any other position on the field.
2. His temper tantrums. How do you not remember a QB who freaks out on a reporter in the locker room in the first half of his rookie season?
At least Enis stunk quietly.
And you were right the first time. It's plane. ... Unless you were implying that Enis' bust status isn't on the same widespread area of treeless land as Leaf's.
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