Ex-No.1 pick JaMarcus Russell accused of stealing donation for high school, fired as coach

Former NFL quarterback JaMarcus Russell was dismissed as a volunteer assistant coach at Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama, and is also the subject of a lawsuit that accuses him of taking a check that was supposed to go to the high school as a donation.

Russell, the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick in 2007, is an alumnus of Williamson High.

"JaMarcus Russell was relieved of his volunteer coaching duties at Williamson High School during the fall of last year," Mobile County Public Schools officials told WKRG Sports.

According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports, Russell allegedly received, deposited, and then cashed a $74,000 check at a local credit union in July 2022.

A business owner said he wrote the check after Russell asked him about donating to help the football team buy weight room equipment. The lawsuit states that the school never got that check, and Russell deposited and subsequently withdrew nearly $55,000 of it.

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According to a statement from Mobile County Public School officials, Russell was told to stay away from the school's campus and not to be around the football team after he was seen at an off-campus function for the team.

After playing at LSU, Russell was selected first overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2007 draft. During his career, he threw for 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions, earning more than $36 million in salary.