Who is JaMarcus Russell and what is he being accused of?

FOOTBALL isn’t just a sport, it’s a business – and one player managed to cost his former team more than $2 million per touchdown.

Over the past two decades, JaMarcus Russell has made headlines for his dominance in high school and college football, his disappointingly short NFL career, and his arrest in 2010, but on June 29, 2024, multiple reports revealed that Russell had also found himself at the center of the controversy.

Who is JaMarcus Russell?

JaMarcus Trenell Russell is a former high school football quarterback and coach.

Russell was born on August 9, 1985, in Mobile, Alabama.

He played college football for the Louisiana State University Tigers, where he won the Manning Award, given annually to the best quarterback in college football, in his junior year.

He was selected by the Oakland Raiders first overall in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Despite not participating in the team’s training camp or the first few games of the season, Russell ended up signing with the Raiders on September 12, 2007.

He made his first NFL appearance on December 2, 2007, against the Denver Broncos.

Russell was named the starting quarterback in August 2009 prior to his third season with the Raiders.

He finished the season with:

• Lowest quarterback rating,
• Lower percentage of completion,
• Fewer passing touchdowns and the
• Fewest passing yards among all NFL quarterbacks

On May 6, 2010, the Raiders released Russell, and a few weeks later the team filed a grievance on May 28, 2010.

The Raiders were seeking nearly $10 million back from Russell, who received the funds for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons.

On July 5, 2010, Russell was arrested in his hometown for possessing codeine syrup without a valid prescription.

After pleading not guilty to a state criminal charge of possession of a controlled substance, a Mobile County grand jury formally declined to indict Russell on the charge on October 29, 2010.

Russell later told ESPN’s Colleen Dominguez that he tested positive for codeine after being selected by the Raiders in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Despite his interest in returning to the NFL, many teams questioned Russell’s work ethic and his past arrests.

Russell claims he contacted all 32 NFL teams asking for a tryout — and promising to play for free for an entire year to prove his worth — but none of the teams responded.

Due to his dramatic fall from college superstar to top draft pick, Russell is considered the biggest draft bust in NFL history.

What is JaMarcus Russell being accused of?

JaMarcus Russell is facing a lawsuit that accuses him of receiving a check for $74,000.

The check was a donation to Russell’s alma mater, Williamson High School, located in Mobile, Alabama.

Along with the accusation and lawsuit, Russell was fired from the school in the middle of the fall 2023 football season.

Russell, who joined the Williamson football staff in 2018, served as a volunteer assistant coach.

“JaMarcus Russell was relieved of his volunteer coaching duties at Williamson High School during the fall of last year,” Mobile County Public Schools officials told WKRG Sports, as reported by ESPN.

Russell, who attempted to participate in a school football team event in June 2024, was also banned from the school campus.

“Earlier this week, it was reiterated to Mr. Russell that he is not permitted to be near the football program or in [the] school campus,” the school district said in a statement to WKRG.

Chris Knowles, a local business owner, was approached by Russell in the summer of 2022.

Russell said he was raising funds for the school’s football team to purchase weight equipment.

Knowles, owner of Selwonk Enterprises, a local construction company, wrote a check for $74,000, but the school allegedly never received the check or the funds.

Russell is accused of allegedly taking the check to a local credit union.

He deposited the check with Navigator Credit Union in July 2022 and was able to withdraw a portion of the $74,000 total on the same day as the deposit.

Knowles stopped paying the check when Russell was unable to provide him with a receipt for the donation.

He also allegedly stopped returning several phone calls from Knowles.

Navigator Credit Union is suing Russell for the portion of the check they paid him — nearly $55,000 — in a lawsuit filed in March 2023.

In November 2023, Russell filed a counterclaim against Knowles for stopping payment of the check.

Russell reportedly admitted “to depositing the check but denies any wrongdoing, according to court documents,” as reported by WKRG News.

The case is scheduled to go to trial in October 2024.

two

What is JaMarcus Russell’s net worth?

JaMarcus Russell has managed to accumulate a significant net worth, according to several online sources.

Celebrity Net Worth puts Russell’s net worth in the $4 million range.

Most of those millions likely come from his time in the NFL.

Although he only played for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders for three seasons, he reportedly signed a six-year contract worth $61 million, with $32 million guaranteed.

The Raiders, who had previously given Russell $10 million in salary advances, agreed to a $3 million deal in 2013, as reported by Bleacher report.

The NFL team shelled out nearly $40 million — including the settlement — for Russell, but received just three years of mediocre play in return.

Russell won just seven of the 25 games he started, “and threw 18 touchdowns against 23 interceptions.”

If the latest claims of Russell allegedly receiving what was supposed to be a donation check for his alma mater turn out to be true, he may have already spent that $40 million or he may be running low on cash.

Watch the NFL live this season

*If you click a link in this box, we may earn affiliate income.

With this season’s schedule now revealed, eager NFL fans are looking to secure tickets to their favorite games.

You can start buying tickets for some games on several websites now:

Before purchasing tickets from resale sites, check the prices as they are third-party sellers and, more importantly, the cost may vary depending on demand. You can pay more than an official ticket, but you can also get good last-minute deals.

But if you can’t make it in person, don’t worry, there’s still time to set up your stream before the season starts.

You can also stay up to date with the latest NFL coverage right here at The US Sun.