New Orleans Saints head Coach Sean Payton is the unnamed staffer accused of receiving stolen painkillers, The (New Orleans) Times Picayune reported Saturday.
Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper reported that Payton is the person referred to in a lawsuit brought by former Saints security director Geoff Santini as “Senior Staff Member A,” who was allegedly given a large quantity of Vicodin pills stolen from the team’s drug cabinet.
Santini’s suit alleges that “Senior Staff Member A” was given the pills despite having no medical condition after they were stolen by “Senior Staff Member B,” whom The Times-Picayune identified as Saints linebackers coach Joe Vitt.
Payton vehemently denied the allegations in a statement Saturday, saying, “I have reviewed Geoff Santini’s lawsuit and the unwarranted publicity it has received. I have never abused or stolen Vicodin or any other medication and I fully support the Saints’ position in this matter as expressed by (team spokesman) Greg Bensel yesterday.”
See, this is what happens. A man has a little success in the NFL and then he’s accused of stealing painkillers.
Same thing happened to that nice young man Ryan Leaf.
If ever there were an example of how NFL.com loves to bend fans over in terms of buying league merchandise, it’s this one:
Mounted Memories Ryan Leaf Autographed Chargers Jersey
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You mean, for only $449.99 I could have something that’s worth about as much as what I leave in my toilet after a heavy night of drinking and eating chicken wings? NFL.com, you’re too kind!
I think it’s amazing that the site had the audacity to put an “NFL Savings Alert” graphic under the price. What…a…joke.
Customs agents arrested former NFL quarterback and colossal moron Ryan Leaf on Wednesday as he returned to the United States from Canada. He had been wanted in Texas for drug and burglary charges, posted $45,000 bond and will now return to Texas to turn himself in.
What’s amazing (besides the fact that this guy was once considered a franchise NFL quarterback) is that he was picked up coming back into the United States. If he wanted to evade authorities, why wouldn’t he just take up shop in Canada and call it a day? Or better yet, how about he not try to steal prescription drugs from one of the players he used to coach at West Texas A&M by breaking into the player’s house? What an idiot.
How does something like this happen? How does a guy go from being one of the best quarterback prospects to enter an NFL draft, to being wanted in the state of Texas for something as stupid as breaking into someone’s house in attempt to steal prescription drugs? It’s mind-boggling.
Apparently he went and successfully completed drug rehab. Great – now a little jail time might do him some good. Dude needs to mellow out a little.
Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf has been indicted on drug and burglary charges after being suspected of breaking into an apartment to steal Hydrocodone, which had been prescribed to an injured football player that he knew.
The indictment handed up Wednesday in Canyon charged the 33-year-old former San Diego Chargers quarterback and former West Texas A&M quarterbacks coach with one count of burglary to a habitation, seven counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and one count of delivery of a simulated controlled substance.
The indictment said Leaf presented an incomplete medical history to several physicians between January 2008 and September 2008 to get or try to obtain the painkiller Hydrocodone.
It was not clear whether Leaf had an attorney.
Canyon police Lt. Dale Davis said Leaf is suspected of breaking into a Canyon apartment on Oct. 30 and stealing Hydrocodone, which had been prescribed to an injured football player.
“There were signs of a forced entry,” Davis said. “A window in the back of the home was (damaged).”
The count of delivery of a simulated controlled substance alleges Leaf gave an individual a substance he said was Hydrocodone but was not that drug.
James Farren, Randall County criminal district attorney, said Leaf has been undergoing drug rehabilitation in British Columbia, the Amarillo Globe-News reported.
Boy, do the karma gods have this guy by the nut sack or what? You almost feel bad for him seeing as how he’s obviously addicted to drugs he’s breaking into homes while in rehab.
The Love of Sports recently ranked the top 20 NFL quarterback busts of all-time:
2. Ryan Leaf: (1998 San Diego Chargers 2nd Overall)
He was almost as bad with the media as he was on the field. He didn’t set himself up to become a fan favorite or media darling. After signing, at the time, the largest signing bonus ($11.25 million) for a rookie, his performance didn’t match the compensation. He stated soon after he was drafted that he was looking forward to eventually having a parade through downtown San Diego. Through nine games he threw two touchdowns and thirteen interceptions. In one game that season he was one for fifteen for four yards and three fumbles. In his rookie year he had to be restrained by teammates from going after a reporter. Another time he let a fan that was razzing him get to his head and again had to be restrained by teammates. When his career was finished his statistics were putrid. He had 14 touchdowns against 36 picks. His career passer rating was 50.0. It seemed that he had found some stability recently as a quarterbacks coach for West Texas A&M. However, that was short lived after Leaf was let go for allegedly asking a player for some pain medication.
1. Art Schlichter: (1982 Baltimore Colts 4th overall)
The former Ohio State Buckeye was the last starting quarterback under legendary coach, Woody Hayes. Even though he was a bust from a statistical standpoint his legacy is tarnished for another reason. Like Alex Karras, Paul Hornung, Pete Rose and now Tim Donaghy, he was a sports figure that had a severe gambling problem. By mid-season of his first year, he had blown his whole signing bonus on gambling losses. During the 1982 NFL strike, he amassed at least a $700,000 debt in gambling. He ratted on his bookies to the feds after they threatened to expose his problematic vice. His career passer rating was an embarrassing 42.6. In 1987, he was arrested in a huge sports gambling (multi-million dollar) ring. Pete Rozelle essentially banished him from the league.
Looking at some of these names from this list, it’s no wonder why so many people (myself included) are enamored with what Matt Ryan is doing in his first year. So many quarterbacks that were drafted high not only failed, but were so bad that teams had to cut bait after only two or three years. It’s amazing how bad teams can misjudge quarterbacks’ abilities but it just goes to show you that the draft is an art and not a science.
We all have times in our lives we’d like to forget. But for San Diego Chargers fans who show up at the San Diego Library on Wednesday night, the Ryan Leaf era can be relived on the big screen — for free.
“Leaf,” an 82-minute film about the former Chargers quarterback — a “can’t-miss” prospect whose short NFL career turned into a disaster — will be shown at a free screening on Wednesday night at the San Diego Library.
“I insisted it be free for all the Chargers fans because it’s their story,” writer and director Tim Carr said, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I was like, ‘Chargers fans have been through enough — let them have this.’”
Carr, who plays Leaf in the film, appeared in “Rocky Balboa” and has written and directed two other films. He said he was interested in making a sports movie in the style of Woody Allen’s “Husbands and Wives” — a documentary within a movie — but “didn’t want to do a ‘Rudy’-type movie,” according to the report.
Leaf does not appear in the film. Carr said he had a couple of phone conversations with Leaf about the movie and was hoping he would agree to a cameo appearance, but explained that their talks “got progressively less cordial,” according to the report.
Their talks got “progressively less cordial”? Well now, doesn’t that sound like the Ryan Leaf we’ve all come to know and love.
Ultimate NFL draft bust Ryan Leaf is searching for work again after West Texas A&M placed him on leave after he asked one of their football players for a painkiller. Leaf had been working as the team’s quarterback coach.
Presumably Leaf was asking for something a little stronger than Tylenol or Advil. What isn’t known is how the incident came to light. Did somebody overhear the question? Did Leaf get a guilty conscience? Did the player narc on his coach?
The latter seems to be the most likely. I’d imagine it has to be a little strange to play for Ryan Leaf. Anytime the coach critiques a player, the kid must be thinking, “Dude, you’re Ryan Leaf. What can you tell me about quarterbacking? I was at that game when you went 11-26 with two picks and threw a pass that hit your center in the thigh. And you’re telling me to ‘keep my wits under pressure.’ Just like you did when you flipped out on that reporter, right?”
Leaf, who also coaches the school’s golf team will be on leave “indefinitely.”
Where do you go from here if you’re Ryan Leaf? High school? If West Texas A&M doesn’t want you, there aren’t a whole lot of college teams left that are going to want anything to do with you. He might want to check out Dick’s Sporting Goods or something.
