Former NFL quarterback JaMarcus Russell is embroiled in a lawsuit over a $74,000 check intended to function as a donation to his alma mater, Williamson High School in Alabama.
Last year Navigator Credit Union sued Russell, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL draft, in Mobile County Circuit Court alleging it lent him about $55,000 as part of him depositing the check. A few months ago, Russell became a third-party plaintiff in the same litigation by suing Christopher Knowles and his business, Selwonk Enterprises, for $74,000 plus interest and punitive damages. Russell claims Knowles—who wrote the check—“stopped payment on the check causing [Russell] substantial losses.” As Russell tells it, Knowles is liable for making “false representations” as part of his move to stop payment.
Knowles offered a very different account when he spoke with WKRG in Mobile. Knowles said he wrote the check at the urging of Russell, who allegedly convinced Knowles the Williamson High football team needed new weight-room equipment. Knowles later became concerned when he found no record the donation had been made. Russell allegedly refused to provide corroborating documentation and stopped returning Knowles’ phone calls when pressed to provide a receipt or other evidence.
Meanwhile, Williamson High relieved Russell of his duties as a volunteer assistant football coach last fall. The school has declined to explain the reason, but has gone so far as to disallow Russell to “be around the football or on school campus.” WKRG reports Williamson High hasn’t seen any proceeds from the intended donation. A trial is scheduled for this October.
Russell, 38, played for the Raiders from 2007 to 2009. The Raiders signed the former LSU star to a six-year, $61 million contract, with $32 million guaranteed. Russell struggled over 31 games, during which he recorded a meager 52% pass completion percentage along with 23 interceptions and just 18 touchdown passes. When the NFL and NFLPA collectively bargained for a rookie wage scale in 2011 to limit rookie contracts, some dubbed it the “JaMarcus Russell rule.”
