Why did JaMarcus Russell retire? A look at former first overall pick’s disappointing career

JaMarcus Russell is, without a doubt, one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. Drafted first overall in 2006, he was expected to be the Oakland Raiders' franchise savior, only to perform terribly and be exiled from the league.

But how did this happen? What circumstances caused this once-collegiate champion quarterback to fail in the pros?

Born on August 9, 1985 in Mobile, Alabama, Russell showed much promise in high school, starting every football game. As a freshman, he helped lead his school to the state's championship game.

He reached the state semifinals the following year, and by the time of his graduation, had passed for 10,774 yards - still the most ever in Alabama high school football.

In February 2003, he committed to Louisiana State, but redshirted as a freshman. By 2005, Russell was the starting quarterback, and he helped bring the Tigers to the SEC Championship Game. However, he injured his shoulder against Georgia and missed their 40-3 victory.

When Russell announced his entry into the 2007 NFL Draft, the hype and promise surrounding him were great enough for analysts to foresee him going first overall. But once it did happen, things went downhill fast.

Once Russell entered the NFL, he immediately held out for a big contract, which lasted into the opening week and set the tone for his career. He ultimately received a six-year, $68 million deal, but he would not start a game until the season finale against the San Diego Chargers.

In that game, he performed rather poorly, throwing two interceptions against a touchdown and losing a fumble. After his second interception, he was pulled from the game.

Russell showed improvement in his second season, throwing five fever interceptions (8) than touchdowns (13), as well as scoring his first rushing touchdown. However, he also suffered 12 fumbles (seven of them lost).

But he would not reach notoriety until his third season, throwing nearly four times as many interceptions (11) as touchdowns (3). By the middle of November, he was benched, and he would finish the season dead last in multiple categories like passer rating and passing touchdowns.

He was released in the following offseason after showing up to camp overweight, and has not played since despite multiple attempts at a comeback.

---

The blank DVD incident: When the Raiders realized that JaMarcus Russell had poor character

Poor performance was the not only thing that ultimately derailed JaMarcus Russell's career. He also showed a remarkably poor work ethic, as evidenced in an incident that former linebacker Kirk Morrison recounted to Rich Eisen in 2018:

“Coach [John] Defilippo said, ‘Look, JaMarcus, we got 15-20 plays that we want this week. Here’s a DVD for you. Tonight, we want you to watch these because tomorrow this is what we are going with the game plan.’

"The next day, they come to practice, and they say, ‘JaMarcus, how is the DVD? Did you look at it?’ He was like, “Oh, coach, all the plays. They look good... I like them. ‘Did you like five of them or seven of them? 10 of them?' ‘Coach, whichever. I saw them, and we got ready to go. I went through them all.’

"Coach Defilippo was looking around and was like, ‘It was a blank DVD.’ So he didn’t watch the DVD. That’s when they knew they were in trouble.”

Between that, his ultimately disastrous holdout, and his later struggles with weight, Russell proved his lack of dedication to the NFL. Former Raiders linebacker Matt Millen and then-head coach Lane Kiffin had warned owner-manager Al Davis against drafting him (with the latter preferring future Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson), but they were rebuffed, and they would be proven right.