Crusader

JaMarcus Russell's comeback to NFL a work in progress - NFL.com

Crusader

Former No. 1 overall pick of the Oakland Raiders JaMarcus Russell plans on holding a pro day in hopes of impressing a team who may be interested in his services.

According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net, the quarterback will show his stuff on or around April 10:

Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will give Russell a hand and do his best to make the LSU product look like a viable option. I guess if there's anyone who can make him look good, it's a Hall of Fame-caliber receiver like Fitzgerald.

Russell hasn't taken a snap in an NFL game since the 2009 season, but in January, he announced that he plans on making a comeback attempt to the NFL after a lackluster first stint in the league (per Kristian Dyer of Yahoo! Sports).

That same report also mentioned that Russell was 308 pounds, which apparently was down from 320 pounds originally.

Here is what Russell's reasons are for his comeback attempt, per Dyer's report:

The last few years, the things going through my life, football is my job and it is how it feeds my family. People would say [that] I didn’t love the game but that pisses me off. People don’t know the real you but I want people to know the real me and see what I can do. People are always saying that I’m a bust. I want show them I’m not. I’m committed to this now.

It's a shame Russell didn't have this apparent zest for the game during his first three years in the league. Russell never surpassed 2,500 yards passing or a 55 percent completion rate in each of his three seasons in the NFL.

If Russell were to return and be even semi-successful, it would be a nice story. Normally, busts such as himself are one and done, but Russell appears to be trying to break the mold.

At this point, nobody is expecting the 27-year-old to do much, let alone be signed by an NFL team. However, the quarterback position is a tough one to fill in this league, and that gives Russell an outside chance of finding a team that will give him a shot.


JaMarcus Russell Reportedly Expected to Throw to Larry Fitzgerald at Pro Day | Bleacher Report

I actually thought he was older than 27. If his mind is right and he gets into shape he could play for another 10 years.

W.T. Sherman is my favorite General. After all he did order Atlanta to be burned to the ground.

K Major

Watched him quite a bit during college and was never really impressed with his mechanics & work ethic. I'm not really shocked that he turned out to be a disappointment in the NFL but I hope the young man gets it together 'off the field'.

Mardigras9

Beast Mode.............NOT

lee909

JaMarcus eats beasts for breakfast
and lunch and dinner and as a midnight snack

QBREES9

What about Vince Young ? Why don't they go to Canada and prove they can play.

SloMotion

I like the Canada idea ... Warren Moon took that route, Doug Flutie is another. Canada, as a country, has a healthier lifestyle than the US as well, which would help JR with his weight loss regimen.

If he had been any good, he could have gotten into NutriSystem for free like Dan Marino and them guys ... there's a moral to a story here, just can't put my finger on it, .

Crusader

JaMarcus Russell has come a long way in a short time.

In the last two months, the former No. 1 overall pick has dropped nearly 40 pounds, regained some rhythm on the football field, and, most of all, showed a renewed sense of purpose.

In our final episode chronicling his attempted comeback, we watch as the TEST Football Academy staff takes Russell through a simulated pro day, with former pro QB Jeff Garcia working as a personal quarterbacks coach.

With the 2013 quarterback class perhaps one of the weakest in over a decade, is there a chance a team gives the 27-year-old Russell a prolonged look? He would no doubt jump at any situation that saw him competing in an NFL camp this summer full of his new-found determination that was clearly lacking when he was first in the league.

What do you think? Is he, as he tells B/R toward the end of our final installment, really ready to be a teammate and leader?

JaMarcus Russell Comeback 2013: Ready to Be a Teammate and a Leader | Bleacher Report


He is looking a whole lot better physically and still have plenty of time to work until training camps open.

W.T. Sherman is my favorite General. After all he did order Atlanta to be burned to the ground.

K Major

+1. Scouts fell in love with his measurables and how far he could throw a ball on his knee at the combine. Having watched him closely at LSU, he never impressed me in the least. I always considered Matt Flynn the better of the two while in college.

I wish him well with his comeback but I don't see him going very far at the NFL level.

QBREES9

He'll have to go some where else. But It won't be the NFL. Canada