Former Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell dismissed as coach amid stealing $74,000 check allegations: Report

With his playing career long behind him, former Oakland Raiders' first overall pick JaMarcus Russell decided to stay in love with football by volunteering as a coach for Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama. This is where he attended high school before going to the LSU Tigers for his college football career.

However, his seemingly generous act took a wrong turn. He was reportedly removed from his position and banned from returning to the school in any capacity after he allegedly stole money intended as a donation.

According to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports, the former quarterback is facing a lawsuit for a $74,000 check that he illegally kept for himself. He allegedly took the check from Chris Knowles, a local business owner, whom he convinced to donate so that the high school football team could buy new weight room equipment.

The school apparently never received the money. He reportedly deposited it into a credit union rather than giving it to the school and he proceeded to withdraw $55,000 immediately after the check cleared.

Following the allegations, he reportedly attempted to attend a team event, but the district informed him that he was no longer permitted to be anywhere near the school or involved in any of their activities.

Who could the Raiders have had instead of JaMarcus Russell in the 2007 NFL Draft?

JaMarcus Russell

JaMarcus Russell was selected first overall in 2007 by the Las Vegas Raiders, but it turned out to be an absolute disaster. Among his many struggles, he ended his career by completing just 52 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in just 31 games.

While it's easy to say in hindsight that the Las Vegas Raiders shouldn't have drafted JaMarcus Russell, that decision was much more difficult at the time. In fact, if the Raiders were set on taking a quarterback with the top overall pick, they likely weren't going to find their long-term solution. The entire class ended up being a bust at the position.

Here are the other quarterbacks selected that year:

• Brady Quinn
• Kevin Kolb
• John Beck
• Drew Stanton
• Trent Edwards
• Isaiah Stanbeck
• Jeff Rowe
• Troy Smith
• Jordan Palmer
• Tyler Thigpen