The JaMarcus Russell story is beyond sad.

It’s pathetic.

John Lucas, a former college basketball/tennis great who serves as a mentor to troubled professional athletes, recently dropped Russell.  Lucas reportedly grew frustrated with Russell’s lack of effort and drive.

Now here’s the obvious question: how and why in the hell someone with Russell’s talent piss away a promising future in the NFL?

Here’s the answer: it’s a lack of heart.

Russell apparently is one of those brothers who is used to things coming to him easily, meaning he never had to work to perfect his craft.  When adversity hits, they tend to give up and move on to the next thing.

Russell came out of college dripping with talent.  He could throw a football 70 yards from his knees (in shorts, not on film).  He displayed crazy agility and was able to complete passes on the run.  The problem was the recipient of those passes were almost always open.  Russell never displayed an ability to fit a football into a tight window (in tight coverages).

That is what bugs me about GMs and other NFL draft pundits.  They get carried away with measurables instead of what they see on tape.

But I digress…

At any rate, Russell will go down as the biggest draft bust ever.  He is now radioactive to all NFL personnel men (and perhaps even CFL or UFL folks).

He has no one to blame but himself and his lack of heart.

Categories: NFL, sports story