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JaMarcus Russell might be the biggest bust in NFL history, but he doesn't appreciate people talking down at him. Not that anyone does, but Russell tends to get talked down on more than most NFL athletes.
He was drafted by the Raiders in 2007 and famously had a falling out with the team before even playing a game. He was released after three seasons and never played another snap in the NFL.
Cam Newton, former NFL MVP, mentioned the former Raiders quarterback in a slightly negative light in 2011, to which the latter took issue.
Russell recently appeared on The Pivot Podcast to address Newton's comments.
“Cam Newton’s a good dude, good brother, but when he spoke my name, that’s when I lost [respect] for him. I never felt Cam Newton was a hell of a quarterback. He can run. He can throw, but it look like he hurt. When he [throws], he don’t look fluid to me. But I ain’t get up there and said it on TV about Cam Newton. Right?"
Russell went on to say:
“'JaMarcus Russell and Vince Young, guys like that, they’re the ones messed up the money.' He ain’t said [expletive] about Sam Bradford. Bro, you’re going to get yours."
Russell finished by firing a shot at the free-agent quarterback, saying the two needed to have words:
"And what you got—$100 million? Way more than I got, so what the (expletive) you mad for? You feel me? Cam Newton, I ain’t got no beef with you, but when I see you, we do need to talk.”
What did Cam Newton say about JaMarcus Russell?
During the run-up to the 2011 NFL Draft, many pundits questioned the Carolina Panthers' over their plans to take the Auburn product, Newton, over Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, and others with the first overall pick.
Many critics of these pundits believe racism may have been involved since Newton is black and plays the game with flair. The Panthers legend disagreed but thought that other, older black quarterbacks might be to blame.
He told ESPN:
“I can not sit up right here and have a look at it like, ‘Oh man, my critics are racist.' I blame JaMarcus Russell and, to a point, Vince Young. If you’ve the chance to make that form of cash doing one thing you like to do, why would you screw it up?"
Russell's underwhelming NFL career may have been a reason people didn't rate Newton at the time.
Newton went on to say that he was trying to pave the way for black quarterbacks so that they wouldn't be compared to Russell and would instead be compared to him.
"I’m attempting to be a path blazer. If Baylor’s Robert Griffin decides to return out, I would like folks to say, ‘He may be the following Cam Newton' as an alternative of ‘He’s going to be the following JaMarcus Russell.’”
The former Raiders player took issue with Newton's comments, though Newton likely didn't mean to offend the former quarterback who famously "studied" a blank tape the Raiders gave him.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit The Pivot Podcast, ESPN, and H/T Sportskeeda.
