Ryan Leaf is considered one of, if not, the biggest NFL bust in draft history. A bright young talent, 2nd in 1998’s draft behind Peyton Manning, Leaf’s name is brought into every conversation and Hollywood movie that deals with young, gifted NFL players that bomb. Ryan had a college career for the record books, but what followed was a terribly turbulent professional career leading to crippling depression and a life littered with drug abuse and legal issues.
Leaf, now clean and sober for 4 years, is proud to be the Program Ambassador for Transcend Recovery Communities. Since opening its doors in Los Angeles in 2008, Transcend has been helping people build new lives and offers not only the best sober living care in Los Angeles, Houston, and New York, but also supports those in need with mentoring for extended care, drug testing, and specialized sober companions.
Leaf has personally worked with current and former professional athletes in crisis. Most recently reaching out to Johnny Manziel, Ryan offers up help with the focus on honesty and using himself as an example. Leaf claims watching Manziel’s behavior is “…like looking in a mirror!” “The shame I internalized for my public failures and unmet expectations had a terrible effect on me and my mental health. I suffered from crippling depression and an addiction to Vicodin that brought me to my knees and had me attempting suicide. I ultimately ended up in prison because my need for pills outweighed any common sense I might have had. Mine is a cautionary tale and an example that anyone can recover if they can surrender and ask for help. I can’t express enough how being vulnerable and accepting that help is such a show of strength and not a sign of weakness.”
Leaf doesn’t blame the NFL for his past problems or drug abuse, but feels that the multi‐billion dollar corporation can take greater care and responsibility when dealing with the medical issues of its players as a whole. Leaf demonstrates that money, power, & prestige does not translate into happiness.
This tour will be among Leaf’s first media appearances since being released from prison in December of 2014, where he served 32 months for various charges. Leaf would also be happy to discuss the April 28‐30 NFL Draft.
Leaf’s life as he puts it, “… is peaceful and without constant chaos, two things that were never the case for me.” He is now working to be of service and to help those in need. Leaf speaks to high schools, colleges, and to companies throughout the country telling his story and trying to give back rather than taking from.
Leaf is also the Chairman of his Focused Intensity Foundation where all proceeds go to scholarships for those who cannot afford substance abuse treatment. The foundation’s mission is to develop a therapeutic facility for athletes with substance abuse, mental health, and behavioral issues.
RYAN LEAF STORIES FROM COMPLEX.COM POSTED APRIL 8th
It’s not a secret that Ryan Leaf was, at one point in his life, dangerously addicted to drugs. According to a report that came out back in 2012, Leaf was routinely having large amounts of prescription pills mailed to his home, and when he ran out of them and got really desperate, he reportedly used to walk into peoples’ houses, go through their medicine cabinets, and steal whatever he could find.
Leaf eventually hit rock bottom in 2013 when he was sentenced to serve seven years in Montana State Prison, but according to him, it was incredibly hard to overcome his addiction while in prison. But not necessarily for the reasons you might think. During an interview on The Dan Patrick Show today, he revealed that it was actually easier for him to find drugs while he was locked up than it was for him to find them when he was out on the streets.
“It was pretty rampant in there,” he said. “Pills, which was my thing, too, those were really prevalent. The guards would bring them in. I was always worried. That was my biggest worry—that they would toss them in my cell one day and plant stuff on me and I’d get stuck [in jail] for longer and longer. You always had to toe the line with them. One of my friends told me, you know, if you ever want to see the worst people in the world, go to a prison at a shift change. That was the running joke there.”
Leaf said that, despite the prevalence of drugs, he was ultimately able to stay away from them and get his life back together.
“I was in a place where I said, ‘I’m done,’” he said. “When somebody gets to that point, they get to that point. It’s usually a huge transformation, for sure.”
It’s kind of amazing to see and hear how well Leaf appears to be doing. During his phone interview with Patrick, he was down in Augusta, Ga. for the Masters, which is an event that he says he watched on a small TV when he was in jail.
(Below was posted February 5th)
At this point, Ryan Leaf’s story is well known. He flamed out of the NFL in spectacular fashion after he was selected second overall in the 1998 NFL Draft, one pick behind Peyton Manning. He spent his post-NFL life battling drug addiction and going in and out of jail. And he’s widely regarded as one of the biggest busts in NFL history.
He actually looks like he’s doing a lot better right now, though. He showed up in San Francisco this week and has made several media appearances, most recently on The Dan Patrick Show this morning. And of course, he was asked to comment on the recent Johnny Manziel drama while he was on the show. Leaf told Patrick that, while he never struggled with addiction during his career, he relates to what Manziel is going through. He even went as far as to say that it “feels like I’m holding up a mirror” when he looks at Manziel.