Leaf placed on leave from position as QB coach at West Texas A&M
West Texas A&M quarterbacks coach Ryan 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.
Ryan Leaf is in his third season as quarterbacks coach at Division II West Texas A&M.
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.
McBroom said he met with Leaf on Sunday to "go through some options, and we agreed that a leave is the best option." McBroom said he could not comment on the allegation until all inquiries had been completed, and he could not say if or when Leaf would return.
Leaf, in his third season at West Texas A&M, was the second overall pick in the 1998 draft and retired in 2002. Leaf also is the men's golf coach at the school.
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.
"Ryan doesn't want this to be a distraction from the team," McBroom said. "He and I agreed this is the best course of action until we figure everything out."
Leaf, a Heisman Trophy finalist at Washington State, was taken second in the 1998 draft behind only Peyton Manning. He retired after four dismal seasons, best known for his profane off-field outbursts toward fans, coaches and reporters. He finished his career with 14 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.
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