Ryan Leaf’s journey with the Chargers came full circle over the weekend.
The second overall pick in the 1998 draft posted a photo of himself visiting the team for the Sunday game against the Giants, and wrote, “1st time returning as a former @chargers player. Anxiety is the best word to describe how I was feeling. This was different, my family was by my side, I really like who I see in the mirror now and I wanted to celebrate with my former teammates. #soberlife #BoltUp #nflbrotherhood.” (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
You can check out a photo of Leaf with his family below.
1st time returning as a former @chargers player. Anxiety is the best word to describe how I was feeling. This was different, my family was by my side, I really like who I see in the mirror now and I wanted to celebrate with my former teammates. #soberlife #BoltUp #nflbrotherhood pic.twitter.com/5TzyvHMDNC
— Ryan D Leaf (@RyanDLeaf) December 13, 2021
Leaf was chosen as the number two player in the 1998 draft, and lots of people thought he was going to set the world on fire as the face of the Chargers.
Instead, his career was infamously derailed by off-the-field issues, and he was out of the league after a few short seasons.
Following the conclusion of his NFL career, Leaf struggled with substance abuse issues and spent time in prison as a result of his choices.
Now, he’s been sober for several years, is doing much better in life and finally returned to the team that made him the second overall pick more than two decades ago.
To say he’s doing much better than he was a decade ago would be an understatement.
7 years ago today I walked out of a prison cell & into an unknown future. If I had known the size of the blessing that was coming, I would have understood the magnitude of the battle I was fighting! Thank you to all the people who’ve carried me along the way! #soberlife #Grateful pic.twitter.com/RjY1N1DpOL
— Ryan D Leaf (@RyanDLeaf) December 3, 2021
Props to Leaf for staying clean and doing what he needs to do in order to win every single day. His NFL career didn’t last, but he’s clearly doing better than ever.