West Texas A&M Quarterbacks Coach Ryan Leaf Placed on Indefinite Leave

Way back in Feb. 2007, MDS pointed out that Ryan Leaf, former Chargers first-round pick, and later the first guy mentioned when the conversation turns to all-time great draft busts, had surfaced in Texas as the quarterbacks coach and golf coach at West Texas A&M pulling down close to 30 large a year.

And now MDS on CFT writes that Leaf's job could be in jeopardy. Not because of the economy, or because he wasn't very good at what he did, but for something much more sinister.

Leaf, the former San Diego Chargers quarterback, has been placed on indefinite leave at his request to deal with a personal issue, athletic director Michael McBroom said Wednesday.
A person briefed on the situation said that Leaf acknowledged he had asked a player for a pill to help him deal with pain in his wrist dating to his NFL playing days.

Okay, maybe sinister was a bit much. How about vaguely controversial? Mildly debatable? Fine. Innocuous it is.

And while it's certainly noble of Leaf to voluntarily turn himself in for what sounds like asking for a couple Excedrin, there has to be something more to this. Hopefully this all works out because it sounds like he's a better quarterbacks coach than quarterback: "West Texas A&M, a Division II school, is 9-1 and has one game, versus Tarleton State, left on its regular-season schedule. Senior quarterback Keith Null has completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards with 36 touchdowns and 14 interceptions."

Worst-case scenario: he ends up back in Dallas, this time as the new Brad Johnson. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.