Ex-Raider JaMarcus Russell Pleads Not Guilty to Possession of Codeine
Former number one overall draft pick and former Oakland Raiders quarterback (QB) JaMarcus Russell has pleaded not guilty to a charge of possession of a controlled substance, codeine syrup.
Russell, 24, was released by the Raiders this offseason, three years after the Raiders chose him to be their franchise quarterback. He was a star at LSU and the Raiders were hoping he’d finally lead them to the promise land. That obviously did not happen and the Raiders traded for Jason Campbell just days before letting Russell go.
Russell was recently caught with codeine, which can be used to make "purple drank," a concoction made up of codeine syrup, soda and Jolly Rancher candy.
Police stated that Russell did not have a prescription for the drug and he was arrested on July 5th as part of an undercover investigation.
Russell's attorney, Donald Briskman, stated there were about nine or 10 people in his client’s home at the time of the arrest and he believes Russell will be out of the woods once all the evidence is known.
The QB was quickly freed on a $2,500 bond and has not commented on the arrest.
Briskman claimed he asked for a prompt hearing for his client, that way Russell can concentrate on making a return to the football field. A hearing is set for Aug. 11th, when the court of Alabama will determine whether there is enough evidence to bring the case to a grand trial.
NFL insider Michael Lombardi has stated that it’s unlikely Russell will find a job in the NFL this season due to underperforming and his tarnished reputation. Russell will likely have to restore his reputation and find his game in the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Hamilton Tiger-Cats own Russell's CFL rights.
It has not been a good offseason for Russell. First, he was released on May 6th after three disastrous seasons in Oakland. He won only seven games in his 25 starts and was benched this season in favor of Charlie Frye. The Raiders seemed to have more success without Russell under centre and gave up on their franchise player.
Russell did not nearly live up to the hype surrounding him before he entered the league. Many are considering him the all-time biggest bust in NFL history, taking Ryan Leaf’s place. In three seasons, he completed just 52.1 percent of his passes. He threw for 18 touchdowns with 23 interceptions, and he also had 15 lost fumbles and a 65.2 passer rating. That doesn't sound good, does it?
The Raiders asked for a refund from the underperforming quarterback. The Raiders filed a grievance seeking to recoup about $9.5 million of the $36.4 million that they paid the quarterback since signing him three years ago. Oakland gave the quarterback a lot of guaranteed money and they may have to bite the bullet and accept the losses.
Russell was only the second No.1 overall pick in NFL history to be released so quickly in his career. Since the draft started in 1967, only the Indianapolis Colts cut their top pick so early. In 1992, top pick Steve Emtman was released after three seasons, but that was more because of injuries than production.
So now Russell will hope that he escapes harsh penalties from the state and will have to get a job this season anywhere he can find one. Unless a team can sign him to a cheap one-year contract, he will likely have to turn to the Tiger-Cats, who have already begun their season in Canada. The Canadian Football League may be the opportunity that Russell needs to grab the attention of NFL teams once again and prove that he has a future in football.
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