Synopsis

This is a semi-biographical account of the short NFL career of quarterback Ryan Leaf, who was one of the most highly-rated quarterbacks entered in the NFL's 1998 player draft and was considered a lock as first or second choice. Leaf was chosen second, by the San Diego Chargers, but signs of trouble surfaced behind the scenes when, in answer to a question about how he would handle being such a high draft choice, Leaf proclaimed he would take some buddies to Las Vegas and celebrate madly. It quickly became clear Leaf lacked maturity to lead, and after winning his first two games of the 1998 season his efforts collapsed in a dreadful loss to Kansas City, followed by an infamous screaming encounter with a local reporter and a perfunctory public apology. Leaf never accepted the responsibilities of being a leader, constantly quarreling with seemingly anyone around him, and injury benched him for the 1999 season; when his replacement, Moses Moreno, was himself injured early in 2000, Leaf became the Chargers' starter and proved abysmal as a quarterback with just one win in sixteen games. He was cut after 2000 and finished his career as a low-ranked backup in Dallas in 2001 before disappearing from the NFL altogether, his career considered the worst in the history of the NFL.