Posted on 03/12/2017 2:49:37 PM PDT by bigdaddy45
The football world was deeply divided 19 years ago when the Indianapolis Colts were deciding whether to use the No. 1 draft pick in the NFL draft on Tennessee’s Peyton Manning or Washington State’s Ryan Leaf. There were respected evaluators on both sides of the argument.
The Colts chose Manning, launching a Hall of Fame-caliber career that included five most-valuable-player awards and Super Bowl victories with Indianapolis and Denver.
Leaf was the No. 2 pick by San Diego — one spot ahead of future Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson — and essentially flamed out in his rookie season, although he lasted four more years in the league.
What followed for Leaf was addiction to painkillers, a suicide attempt, imprisonment and, ultimately, a dramatic change that probably saved his life. He’s now the program ambassador for Transcend Recovery Community, a sober-living environment with nine homes in the Los Angeles, New York and Houston areas.
Sitting in an office in West Los Angeles on Wednesday, Leaf talked via Skype to students from a high school baseball team in Texas, some of whom had gotten in trouble with drugs and alcohol. He told the students his cautionary tale, just as he has to many other young people around the country. The group was so transfixed and motionless during his half-hour talk, it was as if the laptop screen had frozen.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Hopefully he's found some peace in life.
It takes a real survivor to return from Hell.
I’ve found that as I quickly approach 50, peace in life is VASTLY underrated.
Enjoyed mayhem in the younger years.
Now peace is a great thing.
I remember that draft when Manning and Leaf were the top picks. It looked like a win-win situation at the time for the teams with the top two picks. But the Chargers got burned big-time.
Nobody is a sure bet in the NFL draft. In fact, some of the best players are deep down in the draft. I believe Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick and when the Patriots drafted him, it was considered a wasted pick because we were going to have Drew Bledsoe locked in for at least 10 more seasons!
yes, Brady was pick #199, way down in the 6th round
Just think about 198 players being picked ahead of him!
Another reminder of how difficult it is to project talent from college to the pros, and of how often you can’t really know what’s in someone’s heart and head. There are indications, many times, but much uncertainty.
He’s still a bum. He’s just a bum who has realized he’s a cautionary tale.
I still remembered that thread on FR where he was found in canada. I took a 2 semesters at WSU before Stanford and he was the one name no one wants to talk about there.
You’re a real prince yourself I’m sure.
Do you share the same hatred of all substance abusers who have attempted to turn their lives around? You do realize that this site is filled with "ex's" from each category of addiction don't you?
Or are you just another hollier than thou jerk?
The biggest bust in NFL history - I still remember how many pre-draft analyses there were about whether Leaf should be taken ahead of Peyton Manning, instead of right behind him at #2. If he’s turned his life around, I’m glad for him.
I don’t hate him. But facts is facts and the fact is he had tons of problem before he ever had any addiction to blame it on. He was always more interested in the fun than the effort, it was that chasing of the fun that led to all the other problems. Some people find drugs then screw up their lives, some people screw up their lives then find drugs. Leaf is in the second category.
I am so glad that Ryan has reached a good point in his life...we were WSU season ticket holders for many years and enjoyed watching him...
he left early like so many athletes do for fame and fortune, and I think if he had stayed the full four years he might have had his life under control...
Compared to Leaf I’m a freaking saint. People seem to forget all his drug problems can almost a decade AFTER he washed out of the NFL. And they’re conveniently forgetting all his incidents of screaming at fans and reporter LONG before his drug problems. It’s good that he’s in recovery, but he was a bum before he was an addict, and I’m not convinced he fixed the bum part. This isn’t the first time he went on the lecture circuit to discuss his cautionary tale either, he was on the circuit when he did the Montana burglary that landed him in jail. He’s a bum, pure and simple.
You conveniently left out the third category, REDEMPTION..........
Appears to me he's trying to make amends for his own past...........And yet you condemn him.
Not surprising, even hypocrites such as you tend to find refuge in Conservative and Christian based forums such as FR.........
Damn LATimes won’t allow me to read the story.
Terrel Davis, my favorite player, was the 196th player drafted his year. His goal with the Broncos was to make the practice squad.
I’ve said some unkind things here on FR about Ryan Leaf, but its good to seem him getting his life together and trying to make a difference to others. I do sincerely hope his continues in this direction.
9 times out of 10 redemption is a lie they sell you to get more money out of you.
He appeared to be trying to make amends back in 2008 when the documentary Leaf was made about him and his “redemptive” journey. Then in 2009 he was indicted for burglary in Texas. Then in 2012 he was indicted for burglary in Montana. So much for that redemption. Maybe he has turned it around, but I ain’t believing it until he’s kept his nose clean for at least a decade.
Nothing hypocritical about it. Just the voice of experience knowing that people that screw up their lives then find drugs tend to stay screw ups. Been having this argument with my mother-in-law about her grandson the scumbag. She wants to blame all his problems on drugs, I point out that he was a liar and a thief who steals from his own family BEFORE he got on drugs. That he was in fact those things in order to get enough money to get a drug habit in the first place. And I don’t care if he says he’s stopped doing drugs, I don’t even care if he’s actually not doing drugs. Because he was a liar and a thief FIRST and even as a recovered addict he’s still a liar and a thief.
Both my nephew-in-law and Leaf need to prove it before I believe it. They both have the recidivist history, with or without drugs, for me to have no interest in believing them without YEARS of proof.
And YOU'RE their ultimate judge..........Got it!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.