Former LSU star quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, was dismissed as a volunteer assistant coach at Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama, and is now facing a lawsuit for allegedly stealing a $100,000 donation meant for the school.
According to a report, Russell approached local business owner Chris Knowles for a donation to purchase weight room equipment for Williamson’s football team. However, the school never received the funds. Instead, Russell reportedly deposited the check into a credit union, withdrawing $55,000 of it.
Former No. 1 pick JaMarcus Russell is out as a volunteer football coach at his high school alma mater amid a lawsuit alleging he took a $74,000 donation intended for the team and cashed it himself https://t.co/Xcx9dhTkLa
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) June 29, 2024
Mobile County Public School officials confirmed that Russell was relieved of his coaching duties last fall and is now banned from the school premises and the football program.
Russell, who was a standout quarterback at Williamson before becoming a star at LSU, had a brief and underwhelming NFL career with the Raiders. Despite earning over $36.4 million in his professional career, he is now entangled in this legal issue involving his alma mater.
