Leaf: Failure in NFL changed him

[GreenBat]

By John McFarland

The Associated Press

Ryan Leaf's eyes are bloodshot, and his hair is matted down at the end of a 17-hour workday.

The new quarterbacks coach at West Texas A&M sets aside his Styrofoam tobacco spit cup and pauses to check the upcoming schedule.

It'll be another long day all right, with practice, meetings and plenty of time stuck in his cramped office. Leaf estimates he spends at least 70 hours a week in his new job - all for no paycheck.

Yes, this hard-working volunteer coach is the same Ryan Leaf who was supposed to take the NFL by storm but instead just stormed around. The same guy who was taken second in the 1998 draft, behind only Peyton Manning, then retired after four seasons best remembered for dreadful play, injuries and clashes with coaches, teammates, reporters and fans.

So, how exactly did he end up at WT, at a campus much closer to Amarillo than the Rose Bowl or NFL stardom? And what's he doing teaching kids?

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