Former NFL player JaMarcus Russell hasn't
played in the league since 2009, but today, says he would "play for free" if he got another shot.
The 30-year-old was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, but his lack of work ethic prevented him from reaching his full potential. As a starter for the Oakland Raiders, he went 7-18, completing 52.1 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions and a passer rating of 65.2. The team released him in May 2010.
"God makes things happen for a reason," Russell recently told Sports Illustrated. "Who's to say? You might see me back. You never know, man. You never know. ... Whatever it is -- I can be a water boy and work my way into a scout team. It doesn't matter. I'll go play for free."
According to SI, Russell sent letters to NFL teams last season asking for another chance... offering to work for free.
"I am willing to lead the scout team for free for one year just to get experience in your system," he wrote in a letter to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. "I know that my name does not carry much weight in the NFL right now, but I am more than the image that others have bestowed on me"
"I've been labeled as a bust, I have been labeled as lazy and I have been the targets of many insults by the media. The blame for any negative press that I've received rested squarely on my shoulders. ... My tribulations have humbled me. I am a better man because of my struggles, and I simply desire an opportunity [to] redeem myself. I do not want my legacy to be a trail of unfulfilled dreams and missed opportunities."
Russell has been trying to make a comeback for sometime. Back in 2013, he worked with former NFL receiver Michael Clayton in an effort to get back in shape and hopefully make a team. He worked out with the Chicago Bears, who ultimately passed on him.
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