Darrel Russell and his violations with his NFL teams.
No one in Washington, where Darrell Russell appeared in eight games in 2003, was very surprised when Tampa Bay released the trouble defensive tackle Tuesday afternoon. After all, the Redskins were the first misguided franchise to provide Russell a chance to salvage his career, coming off an 18-month suspension for repeat violations of the NFL substance abuse policy, and he repaid them with a string of listless performances. He was suspended by the team for the final game of the season for violating a club rule. Redskins officials were not stunned, either, when ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that Russell was cut by the Bucs because he had tested positive for alcohol, thus violating the parameters of his aftercare program. Late last year, Redskins officials and players were alarmed over the quantity of alcohol Russell was tossing down during the team's annual Christmas party at owner Dan Snyder's digs. Fact is, some team officials wondered aloud at the Christmas party if Russell was, indeed, violating his NFL probation. Recalled one player: "Even if it wasn't (a violation), you'd have thought that a guy with his history, trying to make it back into the league, would have been a little more (discreet), right? I mean, if you're Darrell Russell, you've got to know they're watching every move. But he didn't seem to care." It remains to be seen if any other team takes a chance on Russell now although, the point may be moot, if the NFL suspends him again. Defensive linemen who weigh 300 pounds and are as athletic as Russell are always tempting. But given his penchant for recidivism, getting another opportunity will be difficult. Certainly he'll never have a support group like the one in Tampa, with general manager Bruce Allen, coach Jon Gruden, and d-line coach Rod Marinelli. It should have been a blessed trinity for Russell, since Allen drafted him in Oakland, Gruden coached him there, and Marinelli was his college position coach at Southern California. If that threesome couldn't convince Russell to walk the straight and narrow, chances are no one else can, either.
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