Former WSU Standout Debuts First Book
Courtesy of Crimson Oak Publishing.
At one time, Ryan Leaf was a star. A Heisman finalist, a PAC-10 record setting quarterback, and the man who led the Washington State Cougars to their first ever PAC-10 championship. When he was scooped up in the 1998 NFL Draft as the No. 2 pick, the future was bright for the football star from Great Falls, Montana.
However, in his opening year with the San Diego Chargers he threw two touchdowns and 15 interceptions. In his second season he rode the bench with a shoulder injury. In the third season, he saw intermittent playing time, experienced more injuries, and threw more interceptions, which eventually ended in him being released from the Chargers. Over the next two years he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Seattle Seahawks, before retiring from professional football in 2002. Rarely have players with such potential fallen from grace so quickly, and Leaf's once bright career has gone down as one of sport's biggest busts.
Over the intervening years, Leaf has experienced personal and professional ups and downs. He went back and finished college but also had a few run-ins with the law for drug and burglary charges. Now living in Montana, the former WSU standout appears to have turned his life around and is staging a comeback of sorts.
His autobiographical book, 596 Switch, is on the shelves and is the first in a series of three books that will look back at Leaf's rise, fall, and subsequent redemption. 596 Switch covers Leaf's years at WSU, from idealistic freshman dreaming of the Big Time to his final game as a Cougar at the 1998 Rose Bowl. It also offers an occasionally unflattering look at the behind-the-scenes world of college football.
To hear more about Ryan Leaf and his new book, check out his live chat over at the Seattle Times.
