2007 NFL Draft:
JaMarcus Russell
Leads With Grace

By Jeremy White, NFLHS.com

JaMarcus Russell is one of the most dominating football players in Alabama high school history - and that state has produced some fine gridiron greats. He carried his success into the college ranks, where LSU went 20-3 during Russell's junior and senior seasons.

Now, he's looking to make a name for himself in the National Football League, and says he draws inspiration from this year's Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Peyton Manning.

"I like him a lot, and not just the way he plays," Russell says. "I like the way he carries himself around people."

Manning, like other great quarterbacks (Dan Marino, John Elway, Joe Montana and Tom Brady all come to mind), is a leader in the truest sense. Russell, a quiet guy by nature, says he too is a leader, albeit of a different variety than the aforementioned signal callers.

"I'm a laid back type of guy. You don't have to be vocal to be a good leader," he explains. "I'm laid back and address a guy one-on-one so he doesn't have to feel like you're trying to embarrass him."

Russell holds up the MVP trophy after defeating Notre Dame in the 2007 Sugar Bowl 41-14.

Don't mistake his loose pace for apathy on the field, though. Russell says he's quite the competitor.

"I've been playing since I was six years old. From the beginning I've wanted to go out and beat whoever I was playing," he recalls. "Winning is what it's about."

Russell knows a lot about winning. He also knows a lot about individual success. He was the SEC Player of the Year in 2005, made All-SEC honors again in 2006 and was named the 2007 Sugar Bowl MVP.

As a senior, he completed 232 of 342 passes for 3,129 yards and 28 touchdowns. He tossed just eight interceptions en route to a 167.03 passer rating. For his career, Russell completed 493 of 797 passes for 6,625 yards and 52 touchdowns.

Back at Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama, Russell was a Parade All-American in 2002. That year, as a senior, he completed 219 of 372 passes for 3,332 yards and 22 touchdowns.

He is the all-time passing leader in Alabama prep history with 10,744 yards. He's fifth on the all-time rushing list with 7,362 yards. Do the math: that's more than 18,000 yards of offense.

"When you're bigger than most of the defensive guys, it's a lot of fun," Russell says. That didn't just apply in high school and college, either. It will hold true in the professional ranks as well: Russell is 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, which means he could just as easily be confused for a tight end or linebacker.

Regardless of your build, Russell has this bit of advice for high school football players: "Be a competitor," he says. "Not just when a game is on the line, but all of the time. Work hard and play hard. And when you get the opportunity, go out and showcase your skills."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.