Ryan Leaf: NFL Draft Bust Arrested In Montana

Ryan Leaf? What do we say? Just as it looked like the former almost-number one draft choice of the San Diego Chargers in 1998 (he was just behind Peyton Manning), declared an NFL Draft bust after stellar collegiate go at Washington State, was on his way back to some level of respect, he suffers a major fall. He was arrested in Great Falls, Montana, his home town, and for burglary and drug possession charges.

While the details aren’t clear, for the present, he posted a $76,000 bond and got out of jail. And this is just two years after a drug related probation was slapped on him and for ten years after a charge in Texas.

It’s sad news, and it’s clear and obvious Ryan has problems and needs help. Reportedly he has been dealing with a brain tumor that’s described as benign, and a rash of personal demons that have caused his drug problems. Still, reading through the news and blog reports, it’s as if Ryan was battling with himself.

Ryan had a three-book memoir deal that required him to travel around promoting it. Whatever Leaf’s dealing with, it’s caused him to miss book signings and other related obligations. According to the Great Falls Tribune, Ryan was at “Mountain View Physical Therapy on Thursday” and to sign copies of his new book 596 Switch.

Considering that I’d not heard about the book until now, part of me wonders if the arrest was, for Ryan, a publicity stunt to sell books. Sorry, but in today’s society it’s outside the realm of possibility. His Facebook Page for the book has 2,402 likes as of this writing, and I wonder how many of those came after this problem was in the news.

Here’s a video about 596 Switch:

And here, Ryan talks with ESPN’s Dan Lebatard not just about his days at Washington State, but about the person he was coming into the NFL. His comments about himself are brutal and harshly honest:

And this is the meltdown he’s best known for, aside from not playing well, with the San Diego Chargers.

On Twitter, Ryan tweeted:

Ryan D Leaf ‏ @RyanDLeaf
“I’ve made sum mistakes, & have no excuses. i’m using the tools I’ve learned 2 move forward ..

Stay tuned.