By Jim Stanford on January 18, 2007
Football fans in Jackson have been talking about a couple of players besides Peyton Manning and Reggie Bush, as the NFL playoffs build toward a crescendo with the conference championships Sunday.
Turns out a pair of gridders recognizable to anyone who watches SportsCenter recently vacationed in the Hole. One is a former No. 1 draft pick whose name is now synonymous with “bust,” and the other is a defensive lineman regarded as one of the better pass rushers in the game.
A well-informed Chargers fan relates a story from New Year’s Eve at the Brew Pub. It seems that a big fight was brewing when a tall cowboy suddenly entered the fray and declared, “There will be no fighting here tonight.” Sizing up the large man in the hat, the offending parties backed off, and grooving resumed on the dance floor. The cowboy was none other than Ryan Leaf, former QB for the San Diego Chargers and a native Montanan.
I know, I know, a dozen or more cheap shots at the much-maligned Leaf could follow here. But the image of a mellow cowboy who washed out of the NFL stepping in to keep the peace at the Brew Pub on New Year’s Eve is too good to tarnish.
Football fans who recognized him later asked Leaf how he is doing these days, according to the well-informed source. Leaf responded that he was able to put away a good bit of money from the $31.25 million contract he signed with the Chargers, who selected him with the second pick of the 1998 draft, right behind a guy named … Peyton Manning.
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The second report of an NFL cowboy in the Hole comes from the bevy of young Georgia Peaches, who spent Friday night partying at the Log Cabin and other town watering holes with Atlanta Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney.
Kerney, who went to UVa with one of the girls’ brothers, reportedly was staying with friends in Wilson. When it came time to hit the slopes, though, the 6-foot-5 lineman was sacked, prohibited by the terms of his contract from engaging in a dangerous sport like skiing.
One of the Peaches reported that Kerney’s presence at the “new” Log Cabin stirred quite a few man-crushes among the Southern frat boys the girls hang out with. With Kerney swarmed, the ladies grew frustrated, unable to score free drinks. Given the contract Kerney signed in 2002, reportedly worth up to $40 million with incentives, he could afford to keep the cash-strapped cuties in a steady stream of bourbon and vodka/Red Bulls all night.
Kerney is coming off an injury-shortened season. He recorded 4.5 sacks in nine games before tearing a pectoral muscle in a 17-13 loss to Cleveland. He has 58 sacks in 121 games for the Falcons in his career.
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For those who absolutely must have their Ryan Leaf jokes, try this Deadspin story or ESPN.com’s Page 2 or this YouTube clip of his famous outburst at a reporter.
After leading C.M. Russell High School in Great Falls to the 1992 Montana state championship and Washington State to the 1997 PAC-10 title and 1998 Rose Bowl, Leaf stumbled as a pro, throwing 14 touchdowns and 36 interceptions in 25 games. He feuded with the media and teammate Rodney Harrison, and later admitted he was not yet ready for the NFL, having left school after his junior year.
A lengthy bio for Leaf on Wikipedia informs that since retiring from the NFL in 2002, Leaf returned to school at Washington State and earned his bachelor’s degree. He was hired last year by Division-II West Texas A&M University to be its quarterbacks coach and also head coach of the golf team.
Hats off to the guy.
Posted under entertainment, football, sports
That’s hillarious. Glad that I could help you with that bit of indepth reporting. I imagine that I’ll see you up at Sidewinders, unless I’m out at the village.
mo.
thanks for making us sound like a bunch of socialite stalking bimbos