Former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell had a tumultuous NFL career, with a record of 7-18 as a starter over parts of three seasons. He completed just 52.1% of his passes with 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. Russell is often considered one of the worst No. 1 draft picks in NFL history.
After his NFL career, Russell faced legal troubles when he was arrested in 2010 for possession of codeine syrup without a valid prescription. He admitted to testing positive for codeine after being drafted by the Raiders. In recent years, Russell had been working as a volunteer coaching assistant at his high school alma mater, Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama.
However, Russell was removed from his coaching position after he deposited and cashed a $74,000 check that was intended as a donation to the school. The check was provided by Chris Knowles of Selwonk Enterprises, a local building company. Knowles stated that Russell approached him for the donation but failed to provide a receipt or return calls after cashing the check.
The check was cashed at Navigator Credit Union, which is now suing Russell for $55,000 that they claim was lent to him. Russell filed a counterclaim against Knowles for stopping payment on the check and maintains his innocence. Russell’s attorney declined to comment on the ongoing legal case.