Back in 2007, JaMarcus Russell was the No. 1 overall pick by the Oakland Raiders. And now, it seems that he has lost his job as a high school football coach and has been accused of stealing a large sum of money.
According to a report from Simone Eli of WKRG, former No. 1 overall draft pick and LSU standout quarterback JaMarcus Russell is facing a lawsuit over a $74,000 check that was intended as a donation for the football program at his alma mater, Williamson High School. It seems that Russell attempted to keep the check for himself.
“Chris Knowles wrote the check. He tells WKRG Sports Director Simone Eli that the money was a donation to the Williamson football program on behalf his business Selwonk Enterprises, a local building company. Sources close to the Williamson program, with knowledge of the situation, say the Lions never saw any of the money,” Eli wrote for WKRG this week.
“Knowles, a lifelong LSU fan, says Russell approached him in the summer of 2022 about making a donation to help Williamson football purchase weight-room equipment. After writing the $74,000 check out to Russell, Knowles said he later stopped payment on the check when Russell wouldn’t provide a receipt of the donation and quit returning his phone calls.”
Mobile County Public School officials confirmed to WKRG that Russell was removed from the Williamson coaching staff last fall, but could not confirm if the lawsuit played a role in the decision.
[WKRG]