Ryan Leaf
Ryan David Leaf (born May 15, 1976) is a former American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He played for the San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys between 1998 and 2001, and also spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks.
Leaf had a successful college career for the Washington State Cougars of Washington State University, where he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy after his junior year. He was selected as the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft after Peyton Manning, but his career was shortened due to poor play, bad behavior, injuries, and struggles with his work ethic and ability to stay focused. An episode of NFL Top 10 ranked him as the No. 1 "draft bust" in NFL history.
After his NFL career ended, Leaf completed his degree at Washington State. He would later have legal troubles involving drugs beginning in 2010, after a Texas judge sentenced him to 10 years' probation. Two years later, Leaf pleaded guilty to felony burglary and drug possession in Montana. After a suspended sentence with a stint in drug rehabilitation, Leaf began serving a seven-year sentence in state prison in December 2012. In 2014, Leaf was sentenced to five years in prison for breaking into a home in Montana to steal prescription drugs, which violated his Texas probation. He was released from prison on December 3, 2014.[1]
Leaf currently works as Program Ambassador for Transcend Recovery Community, a group of sober living houses in Los Angeles, Houston, and New York. He also has a radio show and works as a college football analyst on television
After leading Charles M. Russell High School in Great Falls, Montana to the 1992 Montana state title, he considered playing college football as a linebacker at the University of Miami. He chose to be a quarterback for the Washington State Cougars instead after head coach Mike Price, who had coached longtime New England Patriots starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe, called him on the phone while Leaf was watching the Rose Bowl, and told him "If you come here, we're going there" even though Washington State had not reached the Rose Bowl since 1931. Leaf told Sports Illustrated that he immediately knew he wanted to accept a scholarship and play for Price.[3]
He played in 32 games for Washington State, starting 24 of them. In his junior year, he averaged 330.6 yards passing per game and threw for a then Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) record 33 touchdowns. He also led the Cougars to their first Pac-10 championship in school history. Despite his strong early showing in the 1998 Rose Bowl, Washington State was defeated 21–16 by the eventual Associated Press national champion Michigan Wolverines.[4]
Leaf was a finalist in balloting for the Heisman Trophy that year, which is given annually to the "most outstanding" player in American college football voted in by media figures and former players.[5] He finished third behind the winner, defensive back Charles Woodson of Michigan; and fellow quarterback Peyton Manning of Tennessee.[3] He was named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, was named first-team All-American by The Sporting News, and finished second in the nation in passer rating.[6][7] The Rose Bowl helped make him a possible first overall selection in the NFL Draft, and Leaf decided to forgo his senior year at Washington State and enter the 1998 draft.
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