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Not to be confused with Ryan Leef.
Ryan Leaf
No. 16
Personal information
Born: (1976-05-15) May 15, 1976 (age 48)
Great Falls, Montana, U.S.
Career information
College:Washington State
NFL draft:1998 / round: 1 / pick: 2
Career history
As a player:
*Offseason and/or Practice Squad only
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2001
Pass attempts:655
Pass completions:317
Percentage:48.4
TD-INT:14-36
Passing yards:3,666
QB Rating:50.0
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Ryan David Leaf (born May 15, 1976) is a former American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He played for the San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys between 1998 and 2001, and also spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks.

Leaf had a successful college career at Washington State University, where he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy after his junior year. He was selected as the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, but his career was short and interrupted by injuries. An episode of NFL Top 10 ranked him as the No. 1 "draft bust" in NFL history.

College career

After having led his high school, Charles M. Russell High School, to the 1992 Montana state title, Leaf played college football at Washington State University. He played in 32 games for the Cougars, starting 24 of them. In his junior year, he averaged 330.6 yards passing per game and threw for a then Pac-10 conference record 33 touchdowns. He also helped the Cougars defeat the Washington Huskies 41-35 for the first time in Husky Stadium since 1985. Leaf ended the school's 67-year Rose Bowl drought and helped bring the Cougars their first Pac-10 championship in school history. Despite a strong early showing by Leaf in the Rose Bowl, the Cougars were defeated 21-16 by the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines.[1] In 2011, Leaf published a memoir of this season, entitled 596 Switch.[citation needed]

That year, Leaf was a finalist in balloting for the Heisman Trophy, which is given annually to the "most outstanding" player in American college football, as voted on by media figures and former players.[2] He finished third in voting, behind winner Charles Woodson of Michigan, and fellow quarterback Peyton Manning of Tennessee. He also was selected as the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, was named first-team All-American by The Sporting News, and finished second in the nation in passing rating.[3][4][5] Following the Rose Bowl, Leaf announced that he would forego his senior year at Washington State and enter the 1998 NFL Draft.

NFL career

1998 Draft

Manning and Leaf were widely considered to be the two best players available in the 1998 draft,[3] and scouts and analysts debated which should be selected first.[6][7] Many advocated for Leaf, his stronger arm and greater potential[8][3], while others regarded Manning as the more mature player and the safer pick.[9] However, most observers expected it would not greatly matter whether a team selected Manning or Leaf,[10] due to their potential benefit.[7]

The Indianapolis Colts possessed the first pick of the draft. The team's scouts favored Leaf, while the Colts president Bill Polian and coaching staff favored Manning, especially after discovering during individual workouts that he could throw harder than Leaf. Manning also impressed the team during his interview, while Leaf did not appear.[9] To obtain the second draft pick, the San Diego Chargers traded their third overall pick, a future first round pick, a second round pick, and three time Pro Bowl player Eric Metcalf to the Arizona Cardinals. This guaranteed that the Chargers would be able to select one of the two quarterbacks.[10]

Manning was selected first by the Colts and Leaf was selected second by the Chargers on draft day.[10] The Chargers signed Leaf to a four-year contract worth $31.25 million, including a guaranteed $11.25 million signing bonus. It was the largest signing bonus ever paid to a rookie at the time.[11] Leaf stated on draft day, "I'm looking forward to a 15-year career, a couple of trips to the Super Bowl and a parade through downtown San Diego."[8]

San Diego Chargers

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] the first quarterback to do so since John Elway in the 1983 NFL season.[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]

Leaf 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 having a 45.3 percent completion rate, with a poor quarterback rating of 39.[17]

"Just fucking don't talk to me, alright! Knock it off!"
~Ryan Leaf (In a postgame locker room incident)

Leaf had a bad relationship with the media and his teammates, whom he tended to blame for his poor play.[8] In a locker room incident during Leaf's rookie year, he was caught on camera screaming "Knock it off!" at San Diego Union Tribune reporter Jay Posner, and was physically restrained by teammate Junior Seau. Another on-camera incident involved Leaf reacting to heckling from a fan during a practice session,[6] and two coaches had to restrain him and escort him off the field. Leaf began to gain a reputation for having a poor work ethic; he was occasionally found at the golf links while the other quarterbacks were studying film.[18] After Leaf's rookie season ended, Chargers safety Rodney Harrison described it as "a nightmare you can't even imagine. If I had to go through another year like that, I'd probably quit playing".[19]

Leaf missed his second season due to a shoulder injury uncovered by a pre-season physical.[14] He was placed on injured reserve but made headlines for getting into a shouting match with Chargers general manager Bobby Beathard and another coach. The incident resulted in a fine, a suspension without pay and an apology by Leaf four weeks later.[20][21]

During his suspension, Leaf was caught on video playing flag football at a San Diego park, an act the Chargers alleged was a contract violation.[22][23] Leaf allegedly lied about a hand injury in order to get out of practice so that he could play golf.[18]

In the final game of the 2000 preseason, Leaf completed a pass to Trevor Gaylor to seal a 24-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Afterwards, Leaf appeared on the cover of the September 4, 2000 issue of Sports Illustrated along with headline "Back from the Brink", and the cover story speculated that Leaf was having an "ascent from pariah to possible standout pro passer".[23] Leaf started the first two games of the 2000 season, completing less than half of his pass attempts and throwing for five interceptions and one touchdown. When backup Moses Moreno went down with a strained knee ligament, the Chargers gave Leaf more playing time. However, he injured his wrist while throwing an interception in a week four game and did not play again until week eleven.[14] Following more poor performances and injury problems, he was released by the Chargers after the season, with four wins as a starter in three years.[24]

Subsequent career and retirement

After being waived by San Diego on March 1, 2001,[25] Leaf was claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were intrigued by his physical talent and planned to develop his abilities more slowly by having him watch and learn.[26] However, Leaf's wrist still had not healed. He refused to have surgery despite doctors' recommendations. [citation needed] After mediocre performances in the preseason, the club asked Leaf to be their No. 4 quarterback and accept a lower salary. He refused and the club released him five days before the start of the 2001 season. Leaf did not have any recurrences of the emotional outbursts or off-field incidents that tarnished his career with the Chargers.[27]

Leaf attempted a comeback with the Dallas Cowboys, who signed him a few weeks after the Buccaneers released him. He failed his first physical and had some trouble passing the second due to his wrist.[28] The Cowboys released him in May 2002, after he had appeared in four games — all losses — throwing for 494 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.[29] Leaf was signed days later to a one year contract by the Seattle Seahawks, who, like the Buccaneers, planned to let him develop slowly in order to allow him to heal from his injuries.[30] The quarterback attended the team's spring minicamps and seemed upbeat about his new team. However, Leaf retired at the age of 26, just prior to the start of the Seahawks' 2002 training camp, initially offering no explanation. Seahawks coach and general manager Mike Holmgren said Leaf's wrist did not bother him with the Cowboys or the Seahawks.[8] Leaf later cited his injuries for his retirement.[citation needed]

During his brief career in the NFL, Leaf appeared in 25 games and made 21 starts. He completed 317 of 655 (48.4%) passes for 3,666 yards, with 14 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. Leaf's career quarterback rating was 50.0.[31] After hearing of Leaf's retirement, Rodney Harrison, always one of his most vocal critics on the Chargers said, "He took the money and ran. Personally, I could never rest good at night knowing my career ended like that.... Normally, in this game, you get back what you put into it, and he pretty much got back what he put into it".[18]

The sports network ESPN listed Leaf first on their list of the 25 Biggest Sports Flops between 1979-2004.[32] MSNBC commentator Michael Ventre called him "the biggest bust in the history of professional sports".[33] Since Leaf's retirement, sports writers have speculated which quarterbacks in NFL drafts will flop by using the phrase "the next Ryan Leaf".[34] In 2010, the NFL Network listed Leaf as the #1 NFL quarterback bust of all time.[35]

Personal life

In 2001, Leaf married a Chargers cheerleader. They separated two years later and eventually divorced.[36] In San Diego, Leaf worked as a financial consultant.[37] Leaf went back to college and enrolled in a sports management class called Media Relations at Washington State.[38] He graduated with a bachelor's degree in arts and humanities in May 2005.[39]

Leaf's younger brother, Brady, was a backup quarterback and cornerback for the Oregon Ducks football team.[40][41]

Leaf joined Don Carthel's West Texas A&M University coaching staff as a volunteer quarterbacks coach in 2006, stating "About a year after I retired from playing, I decided that I wanted to get back to college, where I had the greatest time of my life, and to get involved with college football."[42] Leaf also admitted that he was unprepared for the NFL when he was drafted back in 1998.[42] In April 2008, ESPN described Leaf as having come to terms with his past, with Leaf saying, "When playing football became a job, it lost its luster for me. I kind of got out of the spotlight and life's never been this good."[43]

In November 2008, Leaf was put on indefinite leave, and subsequently resigned one day later, from his coaching position at West Texas A&M for allegedly asking one of his players for a pill to help him deal with pain in his wrist from past injuries.[44]

In October 2009, Leaf was living in Vancouver, British Columbia as a business development manager for a travel company.[45] The Associated Press reported in September 2010 that Leaf spent a lot of time with his family in Montana.[37] In December 2010, Leaf signed a contract to write three autobiographical books.[46]

In June 2011, Leaf had surgery to remove a benign tumor from his brain stem.[47]

In May 2009, Leaf was indicted on burglary and controlled substance charges in Texas. He was undergoing drug rehab in British Columbia at the time of the indictment[48] and was arrested by customs agents as he returned to the United States. On June 17, 2009, he posted $45,000 bond in Washington state for the criminal charges in Texas.[49] In April 2010, Leaf pled guilty in Amarillo, Texas to seven counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and one count of delivery of a simulated controlled substance, all felonies. State District Judge John B. Board sentenced Leaf to 10 years of probation and fined him $20,000.[50]

On March 30, 2012 Leaf was arrested on burglary, theft, and drug charges in his hometown of Great Falls, Montana.[51][52] Four days later, Leaf was arrested again on burglary, theft, and two counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs.[53] As part of a plea bargain arrangement, on May 8, 2012 he pleaded guilty to one count of felony burglary and one count of criminal possession of a dangerous drug.[54]

In late April 2012, Texas authorities issued two arrest warrants for Leaf. His bond has been set at $126,000.[55]

Writing

Leaf, Ryan D. 2011. 596 Switch: The Improbable Journey From The Palouse to Pasadena. Crimson Oak Publishing.

References

  1. ^ National title voting seems just a formality Associated Press, January 2, 1998. Retrieved on 2006-10-30.
  2. ^ Heisman Trophy Balloting Heisman Trophy official website, Retrieved on 2006-01-29
  3. ^ a b c Where will Leaf fall? QB says Indianapolis, San Diego both suitable homes Sports Illustrated, April 15, 1998. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
  4. ^ Ryan Leaf Stats Pro-Football Reference, Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
  5. ^ "TSN All American Teams". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009.
  6. ^ a b Leaf has footwork to move from QB to coach Associated Press, August 19, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-30.
  7. ^ a b Moskowitz, Tobias J. (2011-08-04). "NFL Labor Peace Brings Employment Chaos: Business Class". Bloomberg. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d McCauley, Janie (2002-07-26). "Leaf calls it quits". USA Today. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2010-11-09. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  9. ^ a b Chappell, Mike (2012-03-07). "How the Colts almost passed up Manning 14 years ago". Indianapolis Star. Gannett. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  10. ^ a b c d Say It Ain't So, Chargers, Sports Illustrated, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
  11. ^ Leaf to Sign for Huge Bonus New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-07-31.
  12. ^ "Ryan Leaf's NFL Chronology". KGTV. March 1, 2001. Archived from the original on March 2, 2001.
  13. ^ Shanahan, Tom. "Rookies prepare for life in NFL". San Diego Chargers. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007.
  14. ^ a b c Garber, Greg Leaf will leave, but where will he go? ESPN, November 17, 2000. Retrieved on 2006-10-30.
  15. ^ Wilson, Bernie "Leaf: It Can't Get Much Worse Than 1-of-15" Associated Press, September 25, 1998. Retrieved on 2006-07-31.
  16. ^ Wilson, Bernie QB Turning Over A New Leaf? Associated Press, November 20, 1998. Retrieved on 2006-07-31.
  17. ^ Cannizzaro, Mark "Surprise! Leaf, Fiedler get new starts". Retrieved on 2006-10-30.
  18. ^ a b c Modglin, Trent (2002-08-02). "Ryan Leaf fittingly pulled the plug on one of the most disappointing careers in NFL history". Pro Football Weekly. Archived from the original on 2011-02-21. Retrieved 2006-07-29. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2005-09-26 suggested (help)
  19. ^ Silver, Michael (1999-08-30). "San Diego Chargers - After a season of discontent there's reason to be upbeat". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  20. ^ Neely, Robert Saving Project Ryan Chargers must take one more shot at salvaging Leaf’s career Pro Football Weekly, November 22, 1999. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
  21. ^ "Fallen Leaf returns, says he's sorry". AP. December 3, 1999. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007.
  22. ^ "Chargers' Leaf Catches Grief For Flag Football". Philadelphia Daily News. November 23, 1999. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  23. ^ a b Silver, Michael (September 4, 2000). "Recharged". Sports Illustrated. Full-size image of cover here.
  24. ^ Leaf fails physical, doesn't sign with Dallas Associated Press, September 6, 2001. Retrieved on January 13, 2012.
  25. ^ "Ryan Leaf Gets The Ax". KGTV. Archived from the original on March 2, 2001.
  26. ^ Buccaneers pick up Leaf Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, March 2, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-11-02.
  27. ^ Stroud, Rick The Leaf experiment ends St. Petersburg Times, September 4, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-11-02.
  28. ^ Failed physical ruins Leaf's warm welcome Associated Press, Michigan Daily, September 6, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
  29. ^ Cowboys decided to go with younger talent at QB ESPN, May 21, 2002. Retrieved on 2006-10-30.
  30. ^ Interview with Mike Holmgren on Ryan Leaf Seattle Seahawks, May 21, 2002. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
  31. ^ "Ryan Leaf: Feeble mind earns Hall of Feeble". footballology.com. July 26, 2002. Archived from the original on April 3, 2007.
  32. ^ ESPN 25 Biggest Sports Flops ESPN, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
  33. ^ Ventre, Michael Beware of next Ryan Leaf in draft MSNBC April 23, 2005. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
  34. ^ Prisco, Pete Latest questions about top QB prospects too bad to be true CBS Sportsline, April 18, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-30.
  35. ^ 02:47 (2010-09-01). "NFL Videos: Top 10 QB draft busts". Nfl.com. Retrieved 2010-09-17. {{cite web}}: |author= has numeric name (help)
  36. ^ Schrotenboer, Brent (2004-07-28). "Leaf turning". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 2010-11-09. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  37. ^ a b Blaney, Betsy (September 11, 2010). "Ryan Leaf quietly returns home to build a life". Associated Press. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  38. ^ "Ryan Leaf news you won't believe". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2005-02-10. Archived from the original on 2010-11-09. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  39. ^ Leaf takes coaching job at at West Texas A&M ESPN, February 15, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-30.
  40. ^ Graney, Ed (2005-12-26). "Different sort of Leaf at Qualcomm". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 2010-11-09. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  41. ^ "Brady Leaf Bio work". University of Oregon Athletic Department. Retrieved November 8, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |= ignored (help)
  42. ^ a b Richards, Phil Humbled by past, Leaf starts anew Indianapolis Star April 28, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
  43. ^ "ESPN - Leaf embraces place in history - NFL". Sports.espn.go.com. 2008-04-09. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  44. ^ "West Texas A&M quarterbacks coach Ryan Leaf takes leave of absence". Sports.espn.go.com. 2008-11-05. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  45. ^ "Ryan Leaf trying for fresh start in Canada". Associated Press. October 14, 2009. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  46. ^ "Former QB Ryan Leaf to write 3 books". Associated Press. December 20, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2011. [dead link]
  47. ^ "Ryan Leaf has benign brain tumor removed". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  48. ^ Leaf facing drug, burglary charges, Sports Illustrated, May 21, 2009
  49. ^ "Ryan Leaf arrested at Canadian border returning to United States". Sports.espn.go.com. 2009-06-18. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  50. ^ Associated Press, "Former QB Leaf gets probation", April 14, 2010.
  51. ^ Kimball Bennion (March 30, 2012). "Ryan Leaf Arrested on Drug, Burglary, Theft Charges". GreatFallsTribune.com.
  52. ^ Blaney, Betsy (March 30, 2012). "Ex-NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf arrested in Montana". Associated Press. U-T San Diego. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  53. ^ Matt Volz (April 2, 2012). "Ex-NFL QB Ryan Leaf arrested 2nd time in Montana". Associated Press.
  54. ^ Volz, M. (May 8, 2012). "Leaf pleads guilty to stealing painkillers". Yahoo!. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
  55. ^ Fox Sports

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