JaMarcus Russell, the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft of the Oakland Raiders, who is widely considered one of the top busts in NFL history, has shed 27 pounds in an effort to make a comeback. As a six feet, six inch quarterback, Russell was expected to use his size, big arm, and mobility to become an immovable force in the pocket. Instead, his weight ballooned, his effort waned, and he found himself unemployed after just three seasons.
Russell weighed in at a whopping 315 pounds on February 7th when he began working with former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia and the TEST Football Academy. Now, he is at 288 pounds, 18 away from his goal of 270 for his pro day, when scouts and NFL front office executives will see what Russell has to offer. When he was still in the NFL, Russell's playing weight was 260 pounds.
"Through the first couple weeks I could barely make it through the workout," Russell said. "We go in to do the warm-up and here I am breathing like a fat man. Now I'm breathing pretty good and able to stand up on my own two feet."
In his three NFL seasons, Russell never played in all 16 games and threw more touchdowns than interceptions just one, in 2008. 2008 was a banner year of sorts for Russell; he threw for 2,423 yards, 13 touchdown passes and eight interceptions, but the Raiders were just 5-10 in his starts.
In 2009, Russell's career hit rock bottom. He played in 12 games and only started nine of them. When on the field, Russell was utterly ineffective, functioning almost as a member of the opposing team. He finished the season with 1,287 yards, just three touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also completed less than 50 percent of his pass attempts. Russell fumbled the ball 25 times in 31 games.
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