3:58 PM Mon, Feb 05, 2007 | Permalink |
WWRLD? I remember 1998 as if it were yesterday. I was finishing up at WSU. Ryan Leaf just led the Cougars to its first Rose Bowl in over 60 years. Leaf gave Wazzu alum a chance to shed some of the heartbreak of years past. NFL scouts were everywhere on campus in the spring of '98. One spring day, Leaf went through an informal workout for some NFL execs and coaches. Afterwards, I talked to then Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer. He, like many others, thought Leaf and Peyton Manning were #1 & #2, but no one knew which would be the first pick. For all his emotional or psychological faults, Leaf was a great quarterback in college. And in the right environment, a really good person. As a transfer student, I was hobbling around 6 weeks post ACL surgery and looking for a place at French Admin Building on the campus of Washington State University. Out of the blue, some guy on his scooter zooms by and stops to help. It was Leaf. He didn't have to stop. He didn't know me at all. But Leaf stopped and helped me look for the place I needed to find. The Cougars punter at the time, Jeff Banks, once told me that Ryan was the kind of person that once you got to know him, he was a great and loyal friend. That legendary 1997 season wouldn't have happened if Leaf and the most of the team didn't stay the summer before to bond and workout. My point is Leaf was a highly rated player with, at times, a pleasant personality and the ability to lead, if given a chance. The Colts could have easily taken Leaf over Manning and no one, at the time, would have flinched. Now imagine him with Indy for all these years. Would the Colts be Super Bowl Champions? Could Leaf take them to the promise land and would it have happened more often? Both started their rookie years. But Manning had Marshall Faulk for a season and then Edgerrin James for most of his career. Peyton also had Marvin Harrison for his whole career. Plus, Jerome Pathon and Torrance Small were good receivers in his early years. Then he's had the services of Reggie Wayne and career year from Brandon Stokley in 2004 (1077 yards & 10 TD's). Now I dare you to name a receiver, let alone the Chargers top receiver, during Leaf's tenure in San Diego. In 1998, tight end Freddie Jones was the leading receiver with 57 catches. The second leading receiver was Charlie Jones (no relation) with 46 grabs. In 2000, again Freddie Jones led the team with 71 receptions. His number two was, wait for it, wait for it....Jeff Graham. He caught 55 balls. Or name his running back. Natrone Means led the 1998 Chargers with 883 yards. In 2000, Jermaine Fazande was the king of the San Diego's running backs. Fazande blew the competition away with 368 yards. A career year for Fazande, unfortunately, it was his second and last season of his career. Now flip flop Peyton and Ryan. Would Leaf still sustain an injury that helped shorten his career? Or would Jim Mora and Tony Dungy guide and mentor the sometime hot-head and immature quarterback into a man that could lead an NFL team? Today, I watched Outsides the Line on ESPN. They had a segment on Leaf. Currently, he's the quarterbacks coach at West Texas A & M and the school's Golf Coach. He seemed at peace with his life. Obviously, Manning helped the Colts win the Super Bowl and was named the game's MVP. Both are at different stages in their life. But I still can't help to wonder What Would Ryan Leaf Do if he were drafted by the Colts.
It's not as if Leaf has one shot with one team. He went all over the place, ending his career here in Seattle - as a Seahawk. The Hawks had plans for him but he up and quit, later citing injuries. The question is, what would Leaf have done if he had stuck it out longer with a new team ready to give him a new chance?
I agree with you Leaves. But the Chargers didn't help Leaf at all. He played through a bad wrist injury which probably led to his demise. In fact, a doctor said he should have had surgery, but he didn't. Leaf even said himself that he wasn't ready to play in the NFL. Hard to say no to the league when you're the #2 pick. Obviously, others have stayed in college. USC's Matt Leinart and Wake Forest's Tim Duncan in hoops, comes to mind right away. You're right, he did go to Dallas & the Bucs before his last but brief stop with the Seahawks. Bottom line, as a fan and a college classmate of Leaf's, I wonder what would have happened in the right scenario. One last thing, do you remember who went #3 in the NFL Draft that season? Arizona picked DE Andre Wadsworth. Statistically, he's turned out to be as big of a bust as Leaf. He played around 3 seasons accomplishing very little, too. Wadsworth ended up having microfracture surgery on his knee. I just read on the St. Petersburg Newspaper websit he's trying to revive his career at 32-years old. Tampa Bay is giving him a tryout. Thanks for your comments and keep them coming.
If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, Oh what a Christmas we'd have. While Ryan Leaf was setting the Pac-10 on fire the year he led the Cougs to the Rose Bowl, I was working in the media in Spokane. I saw both sides of Ryan. At times you couldn't help but like the guy...other times...not so good. At the time Ryan announced that he was going pro, I personally thought that it was a mistake for him to leave WSU after having only 1 good season as a quarterback. Granted he struck while the iron was hot BUT he wasn't anywhere near ready mentally to handle the presures and demands of the NFL. Coming back for his senior year may have given him some more time to mature and learn, gain more experience to raise himself to the level that he needed to be heading into the NFL. IF he had stayed at Wazzu...who would have picked him in that 99 draft? What kind of talent would have been around him then? Good questions all...we'll never know. I wish him well with the rest of his life.
Who cares about Leaf. He's a has been and a one hit wonder. His only good years were at WSU. The NFL was too much for him. He never had what it took. Maybe if he would've taken up basketball he would've made it in the pro's. Who knows. He can't be any worse than the sonics are now.
excuse me for my gramar and spelling but none of u can judge i bet none of u would make it in the pros either most of u are jsut fata$$es siting on ur couch watching the game and judginng ppl who u think suck. when on the other hand none of u would even come near what they came to.
and im superman people want me to go save them but im not going to since im not interested. lol
Geeze Joel, I could read "War and Peace" by the time I finished your post. What a lot of wasted space on such a worthless football player. So he helped you. Did you send him flowers?
He was from Wazzu and has local ties.
He is also the biggest bust in NFL draft history.
It is relevent Hanker, frickin moron.
And becides, Joel sent the flowers to Romo.