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Ryan Leaf’s name has become synonymous with “NFL Draft bust” in the nearly 25 years since he was taken with the second overall pick in 1998. But in a new interview, the failed quarterback prospect said his downfall began even before the draft.
Leaf, whose career with the Chargers lasted three seasons, said as a guest host on “The Rich Eisen Show” that his spiral began at the 1998 NFL Scouting Combine.
Leaf’s decision to declare for the draft came late – so late, in fact, that Combine invitations were already sent out, and his last-minute inclusion meant that future Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s invitation was rescinded. But because he didn’t know right away, he spent his time after the college season ended attending NFL games and banquets rather than training for the pros.
“I had done nothing,” Leaf said. “I had not worked out. I had not mentally prepared. I just showed up in Indianapolis and thought that, you know, I had been told I was going to be the first or second pick in the NFL Draft. What did I have to do differently?”
At the Combine, Leaf weighed in at 268 pounds – and it “wasn’t good weight,” as he put it.
Then, the Bears wanted him to get an X-ray for his previously injured thumb, and he didn’t have one. Medical appointments take priority over team meetings, and the X-ray happened at the time Leaf was supposed to meet with the Colts – the team that ended up picking Peyton Manning first overall in that draft.
“There’s been many stories, speculation that I missed it on purpose,” Leaf said. “[Colts head coach] Jim Mora Sr. was very upset the next day. In his press conference, he talked about how I missed the meeting.
“Years later, Leigh Steinberg, my agent would write a book, and in that book he would state that he had a conversation with me because I was not incredibly interested in going to Indianapolis, that it would behoove me – not that he recommended it – that I missed that meeting. And that never was the case. I know you’re selling books, I get it. We just missed it. We missed it, we didn’t really comment on it, Bill Polian and Jim Mora Sr. were incredibly upset.”
Leaf went on to say that he immediately hired a trainer and had a great workout with the Chargers, who ended up drafting him No. 2 overall. Of course, he only started 18 games over three seasons and had several off-field incidents that led to him being out of the league by 2002.
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