By Justin Worsley
The Summer of 2010 will be a memorable one for JaMarcus Russell and for all of the wrong reasons.
Russell, the 2007 first-overall draft pick, was never able to be the savior of a downtrodden Oakland Raider franchise that went 7-18 during his tenure as the team's starting quarterback. The team released Russell in May, two weeks after acquiring Jason Campbell in a draft-day trade with the Washington Redskins.
His professional career, however, has hit a new low. Russell, 24, was arrested at his Mobile, Alabama home for possession of a controlled substance, codeine syrup. Authorities searched his home with a warrant, which was obtained as part of an undercover narcotics investigation. According to authorities, Russell has not been prescribed for codeine.
Codeine, a opiate, is commonly found in hydrocodone or oxycodone. In liquid form, it is popular in a "Purple drank," a mixture of codeine syrup, soda and Jolly Rancher candy. Authorities did not release the amount of codeine in Russell's possession or whether or not he intended to distribute the controlled substance. Russell was released from jail via $2,500 bond and is scheduled for a court hearing on July 20.
Russell has been trying to re-enter the league, presumably as a backup. Several teams have taken interest in the strong-armed, former LSU star, however, it is most likely that he will be without offers following this arrest. Oakland filed a grievance after cutting the quarterback, seeking between $9.5 million of the nearly $37 million paid to the player.
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