JaMarcus Russell, former No. 1 pick, fired and accused of theft in National Sports

Reports indicate that JaMarcus Russell, the first pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, has been terminated from his volunteer high school assistant coaching position and is facing allegations of misappropriating donations intended for the school. The dismissal occurred a few months ago but was recently acknowledged by school authorities in Mobile County, Alabama. Mobile County Public Schools stated, “JaMarcus Russell was relieved of his volunteer coaching duties at Williamson High School during the fall of last year,” to WKRG Sports on Friday. Russell, a former Oakland Raiders quarterback, is also involved in a lawsuit claiming that he took a $74,000 check meant for the school where he graduated and used it for personal gain. Business owner Chris Knowles alleged that Russell deposited the money for new weight room equipment but withdrew $55,000 for himself. As a result, Russell, who is 38 years old, has been instructed to stay away from the campus. The school district emphasized in a statement to WKRG that he is prohibited from being around the football program or on school grounds. Russell, known for his time at LSU, signed a lucrative deal with the Raiders but failed to live up to expectations in the NFL. Despite playing in 31 games with the Raiders, his performance was largely disappointing. Following his release in 2010, the Raiders and Russell engaged in legal disputes resulting in a settlement in 2013 where Russell received $3 million. -Field Level Media