Posted on 03/30/2012 9:38:04 PM PDT by doug from upland
GREAT FALLS, Mont. -- Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf was arrested Friday in his Montana hometown of Great Falls on burglary and drug possession charges, police said.
The circumstances surrounding Leaf's arrest were not immediately clear. Great Falls Police Sgt. Dean Bennett, who confirmed Leaf's arrest, said Friday night that he had not seen a report detailing the allegations against the ex-football player.
lastname Leaf
Leaf was booked on felony charges of burglary of a residence and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, plus a first-time charge of misdemeanor theft, Cascade County Detention Center Officer Robert Rivera said.
Leaf was freed on $76,000 bond and is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Monday.
There is no phone listing for Leaf. A message left at his parents' house was not immediately returned Friday night. It was not clear whether he had hired an attorney.
Leaf, a former standout quarterback for Washington State, was the No. 2 pick in the 1998 draft behind Peyton Manning. But Leaf flamed out as quarterback for the San Diego Chargers, gaining a reputation as one of the biggest busts in NFL history.
Leaf has struggled with fame and drug problems, and Friday was not the first time he was arrested on drug and burglary charges.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.go.com ...
The “bust” jokes write themselves.
San Diego’s high hopes for Leaf were soon dashed, as his rookie season was marked by bad performances. Before the season started, Leaf skipped the final day of a symposium that was mandatory for all players who were drafted, resulting in a $10,000 fine.[12][13] Leaf did well in the preseason, and led the Chargers to win his first two regular season games as a rookie,[10] becoming the first quarterback since John Elway in the 1983 NFL season to do so.[14] But, in the third game of the season, he completed one of 15 passes for four yards, threw two interceptions, and fumbled three times in a loss against the Kansas City Chiefs.[15] He was benched after throwing two touchdown passes and thirteen interceptions in nine games, and was replaced by quarterback Craig Whelihan.[16] In ten games that season, Leaf threw two touchdown passes and fifteen interceptions, passing for 1,289 yards and had a 45.3 percent completion rate, with a poor quarterback rating of 39.[17]
I was teaching at Washington State when Ryan Leaf was playing there. The guy had train-wreck written all over him. I remember telling my brother just after Leaf signed the record guaranteed contract that he would be broke before he was 40. I can’t take any joy in being right. Ryan Leaf is a sad, sad story.
Unfortunately many of these athletes are given almost no guidance as to how to live, after they are done playing their sports.
Much ability, no responsibility.
Wow... I guess he didn’t want to sell cars like most other washouts.
“I am confident that there will be further understanding when the facts are revealed, and feel very blessed for all of the support, especially from my friends and family.”
Interesting comment by Ryan Leaf. I used to live in Great Falls and was there when he was drafted. It’s a shame that he is still having a hard time handling his life and it appears he’s addicted to drugs now...
He was nothing but a punk when he was with the Chargers. As a Charger fan it was a hard thing to watch.
Leni
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