"October 11, 2008
Russell Has Another Chance to Shine in Louisiana
By WILLIAM C. RHODEN
ALAMEDA, Calif.
As the Oakland Raiders walked off the practice field Thursday,
JaMarcus Russell, the team’s second-year quarterback, was hard to pick out of the crowd. At 6 feet 6 inches and 260 pounds, Russell blended in with the linebackers and linemen.
On Sunday, Russell will lead the Raiders into New Orleans for a game that may shape, if not define, the 2008 season for Oakland — and for Russell. The Saints (2-3) are desperate for a victory. After a bizarre few weeks — even by Raiders standards — Oakland (1-3) is desperate, too.
Russell raised eyebrows Wednesday during his post-practice news conference. Speaking about the Raiders’ coming game against the Saints, Russell described how Lane Kiffin had been helping him. “He just called and talked to me about their defense, things he would do if he was here,” Russell said. “So, really, nothing changed.”
Russell elaborated: “He has got a lot of off time on his hands, so he would pay attention to the defense I would have to go up against. He leaves me a text message or a voice mail here or there.”
But things had changed for the Raiders. A week earlier, the irrepressible owner Al Davis fired Kiffin as coach, ending a year of friction between them.
The Raiders were not pleased to learn that their new Darth Vader — Kiffin — was talking off the books to the Raiders’ Prince Valiant.
Davis did not comment, but the longtime Raiders executive John Herrera said: “That’s not a good thing. When somebody leaves any organization, they shouldn’t be meddling or trying to meddle. It’s not right and we will make some decisive decisions there as to how to deal with that.”
By Thursday, Russell had made the adjustment: no more talk of Kiffin. The former coach was dead to the franchise.
“That’s something you can’t control,” Russell said. “That’s way out of my control. It happened, it’s over with, now just move forward from it.”
Russell carries the hopes of an Oakland Raiders renaissance. If anyone can carry the weight, it’s Russell. He has size, mobility and an accurate cannon of an arm.
We’ve seen glimpses of brilliance from Russell and slivers of hope from the Raiders. On Sept. 21, the visiting Raiders led the Bills by 23-14 before losing, 24-23, on a 38-yard field goal on the final play. The following Sunday, the Raiders carried a 15-3 lead over San Diego into the fourth quarter, only to lose, 28-18.
Russell learned his second major lesson as a pro: Yogi Berra was right — the game really isn’t over until it’s over. In the Buffalo game, Russell connected with
Johnnie Lee Higgins for an 84-yard touchdown that put Oakland ahead, 23-14, with 6 minutes 23 seconds to play. Russell conceded that he thought the Raiders had the game in the bag.
“You get too excited, and look what happened,” he said. “We ended up on the bottom of the sticks. You have to stay level until it is over and done with.”
Russell’s breakthrough came at the Sugar Bowl in January 2007, when he and Louisiana State outdueled Brady Quinn and Notre Dame in a 42-14 rout. He threw for 332 yards and accounted for three touchdowns — two passing, one rushing. A few months later, Davis made Russell the No. 1 pick over all. The Raiders need Russell to duplicate his college success sooner rather than later. Will he? Can he?
His next chance is Sunday, back in Louisiana.
“I feel a lot more comfortable in terms of being here the whole training camp and off-season,” he said. “That put me another step forward.”
Perhaps Russell appeared on the Raiders’ radar three years ago as the special person who just might revitalize the Silver and Black. In September 2005, Fats Domino spent a few days with Russell after being rescued from the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina.
Domino and his family were friends with the family of Russell’s girlfriend. After being rescued by boat, taken to the Superdome and then put on a bus to an evacuee triage center at L.S.U.’s athletics complex, Domino was reunited with his family. Then he, his family and others from New Orleans went to Russell’s apartment in Baton Rouge. Russell estimated that 20 people stayed in the two-bedroom apartment.
Russell said he spent much of the time helping with errands, including grocery trips and a pharmacy run to get medicine for Domino.
Russell had the right characteristics to be a Raider: endurance, graciousness, heart and tolerance. A big-time football star in his 20s shares a two-bedroom apartment with about 20 strangers. Anyone who could handle such a situation with grace can probably coexist with Al Davis.
Welcome to the Raiders, JaMarcus.
E-mail:
wcr@nytimes.com"
Russell Has Another Chance to Shine in Louisiana + Russell told not listen to Kiffin
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