Former No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft pick JaMarcus Russell has been fired from the coaching staff at his alma mater
Williamson (Mobile, Ala.) and is facing a lawsuit accusing him of taking a $74,000 check that was meant to be a donation to the football program.
Russell, who joined the Williamson football staff in 2018, was removed from his volunteer assistant coaching job in the middle of last season.
"JaMarcus Russell was relieved of his volunteer coaching duties at Williamson High School during the fall of last year," Mobile County Public School officials told WKRG Sports.
A local business owner, Chris Knowles, wrote the $74,000 check, saying that Russell had approached him about a donation to help the Williamson football team purchase weight room equipment. The school allegedly never received the check and Russell reportedly deposited it into a credit union and quickly withdrew the funds.
Russell reportedly attended an event for the football team this week, but was told he was not welcome. According to a statement from Mobley County Public School officials, Russell is not allowed to be on the school's campus.
"Earlier this week, it was reiterated to Mr. Russell that he is not permitted to be around the football program or on the school campus," the school district said in a statement to WKRG.
During his legendary high school football career at Williamson, Russell set the Alabama High School Athletic Association record with 10,774 career passing yards. He threw for 3,332 yards and rushed for an additional 400 yards with 27 total touchdowns as a senior.
The 38-year old went on to star at LSU for three seasons where he completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 6,625 yards and 52 touchdowns versus 21 interceptions.
He subsequently was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the top pick in the 2007 NFL Draft before completing just 52.1 percent of his passes for 4,083 yards and 18 touchdowns versus 23 interceptions in three seasons. Russell is regarded as one of the biggest bust in draft history.
