The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Leaf uses his story to help others
Ryan Leaf spent most of his time in prison alone and angry until a military veteran persuaded the former No. 2 overall NFL draft pick to stop self-loathing long enough to help fellow inmates learn to read.
Now the once-star college quarterback who is widely considered the biggest bust in league history is helping former players adapt to retirement and hopefully cope far better than he did.
Leaf’s personal life spiraled out of control after his pro career ended and his addiction to painkillers led him to spend 32 months in prison after an arrest in 2012. His dramatic turnaround began with a challenge from his prison cellmate who had served in Afghanistan and Iraq. “He got on me one day about how I didn’t understand the value that I had, not only to the men in there but for when I got out and he confronted me on it,” Leaf told The Associated Press. “He suggested we go down to the prison library and help prisoners who didn’t know how to read. Many times somebody tried to help me be constructive and I just pushed them away. I don’t know why in this moment I chose to go. It was begrudgingly. I still envision myself walking down the hallway complaining about it.”
But Leaf, wearing his red prison jumpsuit, went anyway. He had no idea helping other men would benefit him.
“Watching men in a place where you’re not supposed to show vulnerability be vulnerable and ask for help because they couldn’t read, I was blown away by it and it affected me,” he said. “I realized I was being of service to another human being for the first time in my life and I knew that was going to have to be the foundation of who I was when I got out or nothing was going to change.”
So when league executive Tracy Perlman reached out to Leaf this spring with an offer to become an NFL Legends Community coordinator, his career came full circle.
“The NFL Legends Community is the epitome of service,” Leaf said. “This isn’t about promoting you anymore. It’s about promoting something bigger than you. And that’s exactly what that young veteran and prison afforded me when I needed it most.”
Troy Vincent, the league’s executive vice president of football operations and a five-time Pro Bowl cornerback from 1999-2003, and Perlman were instrumental in launching the NFL Legends Community in 2013. It helps former players stay connected with their teams and offers assistance in a variety of ways — from making sure they get health checks to life after football.
Leaf’s first exposure to the Legends came during the week leading up to the 2016 Super Bowl in San Francisco. Each year at the Super Bowl, the group hosts several events and welcomes former players to learn about the programs.
“I didn’t consider myself a legend. I felt like a failure,” Leaf said. “So I was a little hesitant, but I went. I walked into the lounge with my wife and immediately I saw three of my former teammates. I saw Donnie Edwards and Chad Pennington, who were both Legends coordinators, and they came right up to me and put their arms around me and made it very clear that I was part of that group.”
Leaf was later invited to speak to quarterbacks at the 2017 NFL combine. His group included Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Mitchell Trubisky, Nathan Peterman and Davis Webb.
“When I left, I thought: ‘Wow, this is really great. I hope I get more of an opportunity to work with the Legends,’” he said.