Ryan Leaf retires from NFL at 26

July 26, 2002 8:01 PM

Ryan Leaf retires from NFL at 26 This article calls him one of the biggest busts in NFL history. When signed in 1998, he said "I'm looking forward to a 15-year career, a couple of trips to the Super Bowl and a parade through downtown San Diego." Instead he got interceptions, fights related and unrelated to his job (for which he blamed everyone but himself), and a lot of disappointed fans. What happened?
posted by GaelFC (23 comments total)

who cares?
posted by delmoi at 8:15 PM on July 26, 2002

I can't get to MSNBC. Why's he retiring?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:16 PM on July 26, 2002

The article doesn't say--mysteriously suggests he has other plans. Yeah, right. I hope he invested whatever salary he's made so far.

I think it's interesting (even if delmoi doesn't) because so much was expected of him and he literally self-destructed in front of the whole nation. It seemed that every other week or so he was hitting someone in a bar somewhere and sullenly defending himself in the press.
posted by GaelFC at 8:20 PM on July 26, 2002

The James Statistical Abstract has a peculiar category they call "The Clint Hartung Award". It is given to the baseball player in each decade who was considered most promising, and in play proved most washed out.

I don't believe I'm related, but I've always found that amusing.
posted by dhartung at 9:41 PM on July 26, 2002

What happened?

He sucked ass, is what happened.
posted by dopamine at 9:53 PM on July 26, 2002

He can go sell real estate with Heath Shuler. Yes, I'm still bitter.
posted by owillis at 10:28 PM on July 26, 2002

ryan leaf. intimidated by the prospect of competing against trent dilfer.

says it all, doesn't it?

i actually think t. dilfer is a decent qb. he just never gets any respect.
posted by lescour at 10:37 PM on July 26, 2002

One of my former roommates actually went to high school with Ryan Leaf.

He said he was a big asshole there, too. Apaprently whatever personality problems / mental approach problems he had were pretty well hidden at Washington State.

Killer arm, no head for the game.
posted by nath at 12:40 AM on July 27, 2002

Quarterbacks coming out of the PAC-10 are pretty disappointing these days (tho I can't remember what school Mr. Leaf was from.)

Around here (University of Oregon) things are especially interesting, unless you're delmoi of course. A few years back we produced qb's like Bill Musgrave and Chris Miller, both standouts in college but second-stringers in the NFL. Then there was Akili Smith, the oh-so-great but can't-cut-it with the bengals washup.

Newest hope: Joey Harrington. Hopefully he doesn't end up on the Leaf list.

(fingers crossed)
posted by Happydaz at 12:42 AM on July 27, 2002

Mr. Leaf attended Washington State University. which also produced Drew Bledsoe (Super Bowl appearance as a starter, Super Bowl Champ as a backup) and Timm Rosenbach (career with the AZ Cardinals was cut short because he was concussion prone). In addition to Musgrave and Miller, U of O gave us Dan Fouts.

Ah, but don't be so quick to diss the Pac-10. The real University in Washington gave us standouts Warren Moon and Mark Bruener, starters such as Steve Pelluer and Chris Chandler, and serviceable backups Damon Huard, Brock Huard, and Cary Conklin. And watch out for Marques Tuiasosopo.
posted by vito90 at 1:10 AM on July 27, 2002

After throwing as many interceptions as he has I'm surprised that he'd ever want to play again. The Seahawks opponents should start a fund to see if they can get him to come back.
posted by MaddCutty at 1:38 AM on July 27, 2002

Now who is going to be the laughing stock of the NFL?
posted by euphorb at 3:33 AM on July 27, 2002

The Browns...again.
posted by black8 at 4:08 AM on July 27, 2002

Also from the Pac-10 were Jim Plunkett and John Elway, netting a pair of Super Bowl victories apiece.
posted by youhas at 5:51 AM on July 27, 2002

How about that Tiger Woods meltdown?
posted by mecran01 at 6:26 AM on July 27, 2002

I love this from the Seattle PI: "Now he's being forced to retire by a chronic wrist injury that was no doubt aggravated by signing so many autographs for his legions of fans".
As far as Leaf being 'one of the biggest busts in NFL history', he's just the latest name on a big list that includes Art Schlichter, Todd Marinovich and my favorite, Brian Bosworth.
posted by Mack Twain at 8:46 AM on July 27, 2002

As far as Leaf being 'one of the biggest busts in NFL history', he's just the latest name on a big list that includes Art Schlichter, Todd Marinovich and my favorite, Brian Bosworth.

You mention two (Marinovich and Bosworth) of the three names I immediately thought of in regards to biggest NFL busts. My triumvirate of NFL shame was rounded out by Andre Ware.
posted by ljromanoff at 10:40 AM on July 27, 2002

Let's not forget Heath Schuler. On second thought, let's.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 3:14 PM on July 27, 2002

I believe Ryan Leaf has already made in the ballpark of $19 million for doing absolutely nothing. Life is unfair sometimes.
posted by swank6 at 1:07 PM on July 28, 2002

I still think Leaf is quite probably the biggest bust in NFL history, ahead of Bosworth, Marijuanavich, Klingler, Ware, Schlichter, and all the rest.

When you consider:

- That coming into the draft some scouts thought he was the equal to Peyton Manning, and in some cases better.
- The Chargers traded away a fortune to move up ONE PICK to select him.
- He was taken higher than any of those other busts (#2).
- He had no outside problems that derailed his career, he simply sucked.

I think Ryan Leaf is the biggest bust in the history of the NFL draft.
posted by nath at 2:25 PM on July 28, 2002

Around here (University of Oregon) things are especially interesting, unless you're delmoi of course. A few years back we produced qb's like Bill Musgrave and Chris Miller, both standouts in college but second-stringers in the NFL. Then there was Akili Smith, the oh-so-great but can't-cut-it with the bengals washup.

Don't forget Tony Graziani - I spotted him playing arena football while flipping for a baseball score on Saturday.
posted by jalexei at 5:25 AM on July 29, 2002

Mr. Leaf attended Washington State University. which also produced Drew Bledsoe (Super Bowl appearance as a starter, Super Bowl Champ as a backup) and Timm Rosenbach (career with the AZ Cardinals was cut short because he was concussion prone).

Bledose has been a disappointment throughout his football career, I went to high-school with him. However, let's not forget Mark Rypien.
posted by rotifer at 10:17 AM on July 29, 2002

Good job rotifer, forgot about Rypien. Also nobody called me on the fact that I mentioned ex-Husky tight end Mark Bruener when of course I meant Mark Brunell. As for Bosworth being a bust, he did lead the Hawks in tackles for one or maybe two years. For me the biggest bust of all time list must include the unbelieveably talented jackass Lawrence Phillips.

Other Pac-Tenners include Jake the Snake Plummer, and Troy Aikman was a Bruin before he was a Sooner, Rob Johnson was a Trojan...oh also Billy Jo Hobert from the, oh crap nevermind
posted by vito90 at 10:30 AM on July 29, 2002