Stanny
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After reading this I hope we don't go after this kid...Kid is saying "show me the money" and can't even get to his press conference on time? Fuck that....sounds like someone who will turn on and off the passion switch. As stated before, Adrian Peterson for me.
JaMarcus Russell said he knew late in the 2006 season he would leave LSU, forfeiting an opportunity to play as a senior so he could play professional football.
Russell announced his decision Wednesday afternoon to do just that.
With family members lining the walls inside an LSU conference room, Russell, wearing a dark Navy suit with a Nike swoosh on the lapel, credited his opportunity to sacrifices made by his parents, uncle and grandmother in raising him.
“There were days they went to work when they probably didn’t feel like it, but knowing they had to,” Russell said, “and I’m telling momma, in the next couple of days or couple of months she can quit her job.”
Football analysts project Russell as one of the first players, maybe the first quarterback, to be selected in the NFL Draft scheduled for April 28-29 in New York.
The Oakland Raiders hold the rights to the first pick, and Russell said he’s always dreamed of being the No. 1 draft choice.
“I can say whoever picks first, whoever pays the most,” Russell said of his hopes.
He said reports he had signed with an agent were untrue, and he broke up the room with his answer to whether he’d reached an endorsement deal with Nike.
“As far as for the swoosh,” Russell said, “I was thinking that would be a good eye-catcher to Nike.”Russell’s departure leaves LSU with two quarterbacks on scholarship: Matt Flynn, who would be a fifth-year senior this fall, and Ryan Perrilloux, who would be a sophomore.
Perrilloux’s status is uncertain after being identified late Wednesday as the subject of a federal criminal investigation. At the news conference to announce Russell’s decision, LSU coach Les Miles said he had no information about Perrilloux’s legal situation.
Miles said the Tigers would miss Russell beyond his athletic ability.
“We’re going to miss him more as a person, as a tremendous leader, a quality man,” he said, “and those shoes will be harder to fill than the ability to throw it deep and make a great play.”
Miles said the competition to succeed Russell will be a two-man race in spring practice.
“There’s plenty of snaps to take all spring long for two quarterbacks,” Miles said. “We’ll certainly get a good view of who’s best.”
Russell, who finished his career in the top five in every passing category listed in LSU statistics and record books, said his strong junior season made it clear to him he wouldn’t have a senior season.
“If I would have had a bad season, I would have come back and finished it out on a good note,” said Russell, a native of Mobile, Ala.
He finished the 2006 season third in the nation in passing efficiency.
Russell and his family began thinking seriously about the NFL Draft during the season and petitioned the NFL for a predraft analysis of his standing with the league’s scouts, his uncle, Ray-Ray Russell said.
The younger brother of the quarterback’s mother, Ray-Ray Russell said nobody in the family considered it a done deal until the analysis reflected intense interest by the NFL.
“We’ve always talked about it, but never in stone,” he said. “JaMarcus never went the whole season saying, ‘I’m going to go pro.’
“It was never like that, but if he were to come out and have a good year and they were saying what we wanted to hear, of course, we were going to look at it and size up the situation. You’d be a fool not to.”
Russell’s uncle was the quarterback’s closest adviser. Ray-Ray Russell said he and his nephew knew in the preseason that a projection of being drafted among the top 10 to 15 players would be their sign the time was right to leave college for pro football.
Ray-Ray Russell said NFL scouts, insiders and others who frequent Mobile — the site of the Senior Bowl, a predraft showcase for college seniors — told him his nephew is ready.
During the fourth quarter of LSU’s 41-14 victory over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, a game in which Russell threw for a career-best 332 yards, LSU fans urged him to return, chanting, “One more year!”
Those chants came when Miles took Russell out of the game for a curtain call signaling the end of the season. Ray-Ray Russell said he knew it was the end of a college career.
“When they took him out,” he said, “after all the camps, after all the spring games, after all the long talks, I broke down. I broke down because I felt my work as far as influencing him was done.”
Miles said he didn’t try to talk Russell into staying. Instead, he said, he made sure he and his family had all the information they needed to make an informed choice.
“I think they made a great decision,” Miles said.
Miles, a former NFL assistant coach, said he expects Russell to get in top physical shape and work out for scouts. That could include private workouts for the top handful of teams in the draft order.
Prospects also take tests to assess their cognitive skills, leadership ability, intelligence and other assets. Miles said he thinks Russell will fare well when teams measure his 6-foot-6, 257-pound body, his physical abilities and his mental acuity.
“They’ll find that, one, he’s a very bright student of the game,” Miles said. “He’s going to understand what a secondary’s supposed to look like and what the reads are.
“He’ll understand his footwork. He’ll understand his mechanics. He’ll be able to make every throw. He’s going to be bright enough to pick up new systems.”
Miles said Russell was smart enough to change LSU play calls at the line of scrimmage, another asset that should endear him to NFL coaches and front office personnel.
“What they see is a big, tall quarterback that can run some and make all the throws,” Miles said. “When they find out about him and they talk to him, his stock will rise even further.”
Russell and his family arrived late, delaying the news conference for nearly an hour. After apologizing, Russell thanked God, Miles, former LSU coach Nick Saban and former LSU assistant coach Jimbo Fisher, who coached the quarterbacks for the last seven years.
Russell also thanked “everyone at LSU,” including the fans, “the 92,000 that are out there every week.”
He spoke briefly before opening the news conference for questions.
“I’ve kind of run out of words to say because I’m so overwhelmed about the situation,” he said, calling it new ground for him and his family.
JaMarcus Russell said he knew late in the 2006 season he would leave LSU, forfeiting an opportunity to play as a senior so he could play professional football.
Russell announced his decision Wednesday afternoon to do just that.
With family members lining the walls inside an LSU conference room, Russell, wearing a dark Navy suit with a Nike swoosh on the lapel, credited his opportunity to sacrifices made by his parents, uncle and grandmother in raising him.
“There were days they went to work when they probably didn’t feel like it, but knowing they had to,” Russell said, “and I’m telling momma, in the next couple of days or couple of months she can quit her job.”
Football analysts project Russell as one of the first players, maybe the first quarterback, to be selected in the NFL Draft scheduled for April 28-29 in New York.
The Oakland Raiders hold the rights to the first pick, and Russell said he’s always dreamed of being the No. 1 draft choice.
“I can say whoever picks first, whoever pays the most,” Russell said of his hopes.
He said reports he had signed with an agent were untrue, and he broke up the room with his answer to whether he’d reached an endorsement deal with Nike.
“As far as for the swoosh,” Russell said, “I was thinking that would be a good eye-catcher to Nike.”Russell’s departure leaves LSU with two quarterbacks on scholarship: Matt Flynn, who would be a fifth-year senior this fall, and Ryan Perrilloux, who would be a sophomore.
Perrilloux’s status is uncertain after being identified late Wednesday as the subject of a federal criminal investigation. At the news conference to announce Russell’s decision, LSU coach Les Miles said he had no information about Perrilloux’s legal situation.
Miles said the Tigers would miss Russell beyond his athletic ability.
“We’re going to miss him more as a person, as a tremendous leader, a quality man,” he said, “and those shoes will be harder to fill than the ability to throw it deep and make a great play.”
Miles said the competition to succeed Russell will be a two-man race in spring practice.
“There’s plenty of snaps to take all spring long for two quarterbacks,” Miles said. “We’ll certainly get a good view of who’s best.”
Russell, who finished his career in the top five in every passing category listed in LSU statistics and record books, said his strong junior season made it clear to him he wouldn’t have a senior season.
“If I would have had a bad season, I would have come back and finished it out on a good note,” said Russell, a native of Mobile, Ala.
He finished the 2006 season third in the nation in passing efficiency.
Russell and his family began thinking seriously about the NFL Draft during the season and petitioned the NFL for a predraft analysis of his standing with the league’s scouts, his uncle, Ray-Ray Russell said.
The younger brother of the quarterback’s mother, Ray-Ray Russell said nobody in the family considered it a done deal until the analysis reflected intense interest by the NFL.
“We’ve always talked about it, but never in stone,” he said. “JaMarcus never went the whole season saying, ‘I’m going to go pro.’
“It was never like that, but if he were to come out and have a good year and they were saying what we wanted to hear, of course, we were going to look at it and size up the situation. You’d be a fool not to.”
Russell’s uncle was the quarterback’s closest adviser. Ray-Ray Russell said he and his nephew knew in the preseason that a projection of being drafted among the top 10 to 15 players would be their sign the time was right to leave college for pro football.
Ray-Ray Russell said NFL scouts, insiders and others who frequent Mobile — the site of the Senior Bowl, a predraft showcase for college seniors — told him his nephew is ready.
During the fourth quarter of LSU’s 41-14 victory over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, a game in which Russell threw for a career-best 332 yards, LSU fans urged him to return, chanting, “One more year!”
Those chants came when Miles took Russell out of the game for a curtain call signaling the end of the season. Ray-Ray Russell said he knew it was the end of a college career.
“When they took him out,” he said, “after all the camps, after all the spring games, after all the long talks, I broke down. I broke down because I felt my work as far as influencing him was done.”
Miles said he didn’t try to talk Russell into staying. Instead, he said, he made sure he and his family had all the information they needed to make an informed choice.
“I think they made a great decision,” Miles said.
Miles, a former NFL assistant coach, said he expects Russell to get in top physical shape and work out for scouts. That could include private workouts for the top handful of teams in the draft order.
Prospects also take tests to assess their cognitive skills, leadership ability, intelligence and other assets. Miles said he thinks Russell will fare well when teams measure his 6-foot-6, 257-pound body, his physical abilities and his mental acuity.
“They’ll find that, one, he’s a very bright student of the game,” Miles said. “He’s going to understand what a secondary’s supposed to look like and what the reads are.
“He’ll understand his footwork. He’ll understand his mechanics. He’ll be able to make every throw. He’s going to be bright enough to pick up new systems.”
Miles said Russell was smart enough to change LSU play calls at the line of scrimmage, another asset that should endear him to NFL coaches and front office personnel.
“What they see is a big, tall quarterback that can run some and make all the throws,” Miles said. “When they find out about him and they talk to him, his stock will rise even further.”
Russell and his family arrived late, delaying the news conference for nearly an hour. After apologizing, Russell thanked God, Miles, former LSU coach Nick Saban and former LSU assistant coach Jimbo Fisher, who coached the quarterbacks for the last seven years.
Russell also thanked “everyone at LSU,” including the fans, “the 92,000 that are out there every week.”
He spoke briefly before opening the news conference for questions.
“I’ve kind of run out of words to say because I’m so overwhelmed about the situation,” he said, calling it new ground for him and his family.
