JaMarcus Russell would ‘play for free’ for second chance in NFL

Former No. 1 overall pick and Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell really wants a second chance at having a NFL career. It’s unlikely, but he is desperate to have another shot at playing in the NFL.

Russell joined the Raiders in 2007 out of LSU and never really got his career off the ground. He threw for only 4,083 yards and 18 touchdowns against 23 interceptions in three seasons.

Russell was out of the league after the 2009 season.

He recently spoke with Sports Illustrated and said he wanted a second chance. Russell wants that chance so bad that he would even play on a team without a contract.

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/724637912860499968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

“God makes things happen for a reason,” Russell said. “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.”

JaMarcus Russell, who weighed an astonishing 265 pounds during his playing days, ballooned in size after his career ended, jumping up to nearly 330 pounds. However, he seems to have slimmed down and says that he would be okay with just running the scout team for a year if it means being back on a roster.

“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,” Russell wrote. “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.”

“I am willing to lead the scout team for free for one year just to get experience in your system.”

It is unlikely that a team would ever take a chance on the 30-year-old ever again, but you can’t fault the man for at least trying.

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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports

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