Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf’s substance abuse issues can be tied back to a Mike Tyson boxing match.
The former second overall NFL draft pick and infamous bust recently spoke with Rex Chapman about his battles, and he shined an interesting light on how it all went wrong. He was publicly booed during a Mike Tyson boxing match, and he snapped. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
According to TMZ, Leaf said about the incident, “My addict brain heard, ‘Not only are you a terrible football player, but you are an awful human being.’”
Later that night, he drank while taking Vicodin, and that started him down a very dark path. You can listen to him break it down below.
Leaf’s journey is truly incredible. He went from being a surefire star coming out of Washington State to being one of the greatest busts in league history.
Following him flaming out of the NFL, he battled serious demons and eventually ended up behind bars.
Fortunately for Leaf, he eventually got it all figured out and his life bounced back in a major way. Given how poorly drugs can change your life, he should consider himself very lucky.
View this post on Instagram
Hopefully, young people can learn from Leaf’s mistakes and comeback to understand the severity of substance abuse.