LSU football: 10 best players of the Les Miles Era

Oct 19, 2013; Oxford, MS, USA; LSU Tigers helmet during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi Rebels defeat the LSU Tigers 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

JaMarcus Russell

Say what you will about JaMarcus Russell’s disastrous and brief stint as an NFL quarterback. Despite the shortcomings of his professional football career, he is still one of the best players to suit up for the Bayou Bengals in the past decade.

During his three years in Baton Rouge, Russell compiled 6,625 passing yards, 52 touchdowns and just 21 interceptions.

As a junior, he threw for 3,129 yards and 28 touchdowns, the second-most in the SEC. That same year, he led the conference in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passing efficiency. This performance is widely regarded as one of the best seasons by a quarterback in LSU history.

In his final game with the Tigers, Russell was named the Sugar Bowl MVP after throwing for 332 yards and two touchdowns. He added another touchdown on the ground en route to a 41-14 drubbing of Notre Dame.

The performance against the Fighting Irish catapulted him all the way to the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, his NFL career did not go quite as well as planned.

Next: Odell Beckham Jr.