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NFLSU: The 10 biggest LSU Tigers NFL Draft busts

By John Fye

Nov 7, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 18, 2009; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell (2) throws a pass during the Raiders’ds 13-9 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2009; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell (2) throws a pass during the Raiders’ds 13-9 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 1 – JaMarcus Russell, QB

Selected 1st overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2007 NFL Draft.

We’re assuming most fans flipping through our rankings knew JaMarcus Russell is the top NFL Draft bust from the LSU Tigers. Then again, such is a given, as Russell remains one of the greatest draft busts in NFL history.

Russell threw for over 3,000 yards, 28 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions with LSU in 2006. He capped off his collegiate career leading a 41-14 demolition of Notre Dame in the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The LSU Tigers finished with an 11-2 record.

NFL draft analysts viewed Russell as a generational talent. At 6-6 and with a cannon for an arm, the quarterback was supposed to usher in a new era of the prototypical NFL quarterback. Mel Kiper’s pre-draft thoughts on Russell captured such expectations.

"JaMarcus Russell is going to immediately energize that fanbase, that football team — on the practice field, in that locker room. Three years from now you could be looking at a guy that’s certainly one of the elite top five quarterbacks in this league. …You’re talking about a 2-3 year period once he’s under center. Look out because the skill level that he has is certainly John Elway-like. – ESPN’s Mel Kiper"

But, of course, Russell was an absolute disaster as an NFL pro.

Russell’s tenure got off to a horrendous start after a contract standoff lasted through Week 1 of the 2007 NFL season. He missed all of his first training camp as a result. Then, Oakland thrust an unprepared and under-developed Russell onto the field in December 2017.

Russell was entrenched as the Raiders’ starting quarterback in 2008, but his performances were mostly putrid. In addition, rumors of poor study habits and a codeine addiction generated countless negative headlines.

https://twitter.com/ScottHallMU/status/1642212656580014080?s=20

Ultimately, the Raiders parted ways with Russell after only three years. The quarterback initiated a few comeback attempts but never appeared in another NFL game.

Granted, few pro sports franchises can live up to the dysfunction of the Oakland Raiders. The era featured Al Davis in the owner’s box and Lane Kiffin as head coach. Regardless, much of Russell’s downfall was self-inflicted.

Russell’s story is a cautionary tale that one must remain a student of the game regardless of raw physical ability.

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