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Ryan Leaf on Dave Dickenson and being recruited by the Griz
- Thread starter Montana Mint
- Start date
227GRIZ said:
I was living in GF during Leaf's high school and college days. Heard all the stuff, including the negative stuff, but he was fine the few times I was around him. He also treated our son, a frosh footballer at CMR when Leaf was a senior, well and gave him a few rides home from practice. My daughter was good friends with his middle brother. Our family went to the Rose Bowl the year WSU played. I'm glad he seems to be doing better. One of his problems in interviews has been, and may still be, is that he is a bit too honest.
Braves,
The point wasn't about results. Of course it worked out for a while. The point was: If you are able to choose from "every college in the country" when you are 17, I can only think of maybe 100 better places to spend some time than Pullman, WA. Narrowing it down to the old PAC 10, there are only 9 better places.
Further, I don't think people should be offering him beers.
The point wasn't about results. Of course it worked out for a while. The point was: If you are able to choose from "every college in the country" when you are 17, I can only think of maybe 100 better places to spend some time than Pullman, WA. Narrowing it down to the old PAC 10, there are only 9 better places.
Further, I don't think people should be offering him beers.
SinCityGriz2005
Well-known member
I run into people occassionally who actually remember the Azhat. They say, "Wasn't Leaf from Montana?" My pat reply is "Hell no."
What a douche bag.
Copper Griz
Well-known member
PlayerRep said:
I am left to wonder if the honesty part is tied to some mental health issues. Possibly he is somewhere on the spectrum. I really don’t mean that in a derogatory manner and there should be no stigma for any mental health condition. He certainly has addictions, but every interview I have seen with him - he just seems a bit uncomfortable in his own skin & socially. Some people would say it is pure ego. I don’t think that is the case. Griz Psych could probably provide a much better analysis and there is a high probability I am way off. Just my gut reaction and thoughts when I have observed him.
Paytonlives said:
It appears he has...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zoB2n8ehgM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXMxL5wihI0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow6t2EIEri4
mtgrizfankb
Well-known member
Ursus1 said:
In the E60 they actually discussed that and how he has communicated with many people he hurt and stole from and many are a part of his story and message he publicly speaks about....so yeah I think people he stole from think he is a good guy now. I don’t know him personally but it sure sounds like he is doing everything he can to not only redeem his past mistakes but also help others avoid the same downfalls that took his career
Personality and character matter beyond just chemical addiction. Lots of narcissistic addict assholes. By taking away the chemicals doesn't mean they're not just a run of the mill narcissistic assholes.
Best of luck to the guy.
Best of luck to the guy.
PlayerRep said:
Well, one could certainly make the argument he stole from the San Diego Chargers....
EverettGriz said:PlayerRep said:
Well, one could certainly make the argument he stole from the San Diego Chargers....
:lol: :lol: :lol:
George Ferguson
Well-known member
CDAGRIZ said:
Leaf had a full ride offer from Miami. I know that for a fact. I am in the category that "kind of" knew him in high school. He was everything he admits he was, and people who knew him better than I say he was in high school. He was an arrogant, self-absorbed, spoiled jerk, who also had about as much athletic talent as I've ever seen in a human body. That's a dangerous combo when you come from small-town Montana.
I'll give you two examples of the Leaf I was around in high school. I'm one year older than him btw.
We (Havre) play CMR in basketball every year. When they played us in Havre his junior year, he opened the game with a monstrous ally-oop dunk. Honestly, a jaw-dropping dunk. But we wound up beating them that night, and he fouled out with about 4 minutes left, and he doubled flipped off our crowd on his way to the bench. That's something you don't see every day. He was forced to write our school an apology, and many of us doubted it was sincere. That was one side of Ryan that I knew.
The other side however, he was also very close friends with a good friend of mine. Lance Lanning, the only OL in the state to ever win Gatorade Player of the Year. Lance went to MSU on a full ride, hated it, joined the Griz for one year, but it just never worked out for him. Anyway, Lance and Ryan were good buddies, and I was good buddies with Lance, so I did spend some time around Ryan. Away from sports, Ryan was a very likeable fun guy, who would often come to Havre, of all places, just to hang out and play pickup hoops. Anyway, Ryan went off to Wazzu, and Ryan's sophomore year, the Cougs went to the Alamo Bowl. Ryan's family went, and he knew Lance was having a hard time in his life at that point, so he had his family bring Lance down to San Antonio with them. He always stayed loyal to Lance and it was the same with his cousins, Matt and Justin Kegel. No matter how big Ryan's head got, he also showed he cared about the people close to him. I got a small glimpse of that, and it was definitely real and genuine.
Ryan also spoke at MSU-Northern a couple of years ago. He was very blunt and very honest about how he had behaved, how he had screwed up his life and his football career. He didn't hold back, he told it exactly how it was, and he was very, very hard on himself, blamed no one but himself, and defintiely took responsibility for all of his past. And before anyone doubts his sincerity at that speaking engagement, this was not ESPN E60 or 60 minutes or Larry King, this was him speaking to the MSU-Northern football team, with NO TV cameras, one reporter (me) and honestly, no agenda, other than to tell his story. He was also not paid to be there. I also know that for a fact. So at least in my observations, Ryan has pulled his life together, and I hope for him, and his children's sake, it stays that way.
I could honestly care less that Ryan didn't want to be a Griz, or doesn't love the Griz now. Why would he? He loves CMR and he loves Washington State. Those are his alma maters. I didn't go to MSU, so why the hell would I love the Bobcats? Also, I was in Pullaman when the Griz played Wazzu in 95. Front row, 50 yard line, cause Wazzu had terrible attendance in those days, and we, as Griz fans, basically hard half the stadium to ourselves. He got put in the game with 16 seconds left, and ignored the victory formation and instead threw a touchdown pass. I hated it as a Griz fan, but as someone who knew Ryan, a little, I thought, damn, he's going to be the real deal.
My view and experience with Leaf (some direct, some indirect) is that, during high school, college and probably beyond, there were two different sides to him. He seemed to handle things at WSU fairly well, other than some things he could have said differently in interviews and probably some of the arrogant side.
My theory is that he was put in a very stressful situation at San Diego, due to his high profile notoriety and being in the starting role too soon. And, he was not able to, and probably not equipped to, handle the pressure and stress. The taped locker room scene where he blew up was a good example of that. It was clear after that, that he was struggling and it was going to be very hard for him to perform at a high enough level while under that kind of scrutiny and stress.
I do think the injury to his hand, or whatever it was, did have a negative impact on his throwing and game, but, by then, most of the media and public was focusing on his other problems, melt down, etc. and just overlooked the impact of the injury.
I have never dissed Leaf, and never will, but I do wonder how he would have done if he had had more strength of character, or more of something, and less of the other stuff. It just seemed like he wasn't strong enough withstand the pressure. I suspect that a lot of people could not have withstood the pressure he was under, including some of which was caused by himself and his antics.
I was truly saddened to read about his legal and pill problems. I hope he has pulled out of the tailspin and can now stay ahead of his demons.
My theory is that he was put in a very stressful situation at San Diego, due to his high profile notoriety and being in the starting role too soon. And, he was not able to, and probably not equipped to, handle the pressure and stress. The taped locker room scene where he blew up was a good example of that. It was clear after that, that he was struggling and it was going to be very hard for him to perform at a high enough level while under that kind of scrutiny and stress.
I do think the injury to his hand, or whatever it was, did have a negative impact on his throwing and game, but, by then, most of the media and public was focusing on his other problems, melt down, etc. and just overlooked the impact of the injury.
I have never dissed Leaf, and never will, but I do wonder how he would have done if he had had more strength of character, or more of something, and less of the other stuff. It just seemed like he wasn't strong enough withstand the pressure. I suspect that a lot of people could not have withstood the pressure he was under, including some of which was caused by himself and his antics.
I was truly saddened to read about his legal and pill problems. I hope he has pulled out of the tailspin and can now stay ahead of his demons.
