Will the Story of JaMarcus Russell Continue?

You know the story of JaMarcus Russell.

He was a prodigy. A phenom who dominated the Mobile, Alabama prep scene eventually taking hold of the state high school passing record.  He had offers across the country, choosing the Louisiana State University Tigers over Florida State. There the story remained the same.

He dominated.

In Baton Rouge, he led the Tigers to a birth in the SEC championship in 2005 then a birth in the Sugar Bowl the following season. After throwing for over 350 yards and three touchdowns against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the final game, there was little question that Russell was ready for the next level.

Russell measured in at 6'5 1/2, a chiseled 265lbs, and clocked a 4.8 forty yard dash.  When scouts came to Baton Rouge to watch his pro day, some say it was one of the best passing displays they had ever seen.

He looked to be a can't miss prospect, destined for greatness. But sometimes greatness takes a detour.

Russell was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the top pick in the 2007 draft, but never panned out. After being released by the organization, his frame grew larger, eventually tipping the scales at over 300lbs. Then his life started to spiral,ending with an arrest for codeine syrup.

On the surface, it would be easy to assume JaMarcus Russell's football days are over. But. after watching the video above, I would think that is the wrong assumption. If there was ever a time to stage a comeback, if there was ever a time to get the attention of NFL executives, now would be the time.

2012 featured one of the deepest quarterback classes in recent history, but 2013 features one of the weakest.  Geno Smith? Ryan Nassib? Matt Barkley? Please. You can't get excited about any of those prospects, yet teams are still looking for their franchise quarterback.

I may sound crazy, but I would take a focused, motivated, trimmed down, JaMarcus Russell over all three of those guys. The best part? No first or second round draft pick required, just a low risk, likely incentive based contract.

Is he too old at 27? Hardly. The Browns took Brandon Weeden with a first round pick at 28 last year (He is now 29). In fact, if he could get back to where he was at LSU I would take him over Weeden every day of the week.

Six years ago JaMarcus Russell was one of the scariest athletes to ever play the quarterback position. If he can recapture the abilities he once possessed, someone, some team will take a chance on him.

You know the story of JaMarcus Russell, but his story is still ongoing. Perhaps the next chapter of the story will be a positive one.

He's a long shot, but sometimes long shots pay off big.