NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf played four seasons of football in the league. Leaf played for the San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks between 1998 and 2001.
The athlete studied at Washington State University, where after his freshman year he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft, just after Peyton Manning.
Due to poor play, bad behavior, and issues with work ethic and focus, Ryan’s career was cut short. Leaf was listed as the NFL’s biggest “draft bust” in an episode of The NFL Top 10.
Ryan Leaf
NFL: Meet Ryan Leaf’s future wife, Anna Kleinsorge
In 2017, Ryan Leaf proposed to Anna Kleinsorge. Anna is an actress, filmmaker and former professional volleyball player.
Her roles on Formed, Queen Latifah’s Show, and Hobo Cream earned her recognition.
In 2001, she competed in college volleyball and won the Fairfield Inn Jefferson Cup volleyball tournament MVP award. After ending her volleyball career in 2003, she began modeling for Puls-Size women.
For well-known retailers like Old Navy, Forever21 and Macy’s, Kleinsorge has modeled herself.
Leaf’s study partner earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University.
The former volleyball player earned a full athletic scholarship from the famed university while representing Georgetown University on the women’s volleyball team, the Georgetown Hoyas.
Additionally, she pursued a degree in Marketing and Advertising at the McDonough School of Business. Kleinsorge graduated from the McDonough School of Business with a degree in advertising and marketing.
Where is Ryan Leaf today? What is he doing now?
Ryan Leaf works as a program ambassador for Transcend Recovery Community, a chain of sober living facilities with locations in New York, Los Angeles and Houston.
The former football player works as a college football analyst on TV and runs a radio show.
The phrase “the next Ryan Leaf” has been used by sportswriters and broadcasters to describe the likely busts of the NFL quarterback selected after him.
The Chargers selecting Leaf only served to position the franchise to select Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson and ultimately Philip Rivers, according to NFL Network, which dubbed him the NFL’s greatest quarterback of all time in 2010.
He was ranked the sixth worst player in the NFL by Deadspin in 2011.
The 46-year-old said in 2016 that comparing Johnny Manziel’s struggles to his own was like “looking in the mirror”, except his substance abuse issues began after he had already retired.
Ryan assured Johnny that he would be able to get the help he needed. Prior to the 2004 NFL Draft, Archie Manning reportedly asked Ryan how the Chargers treated him.
Who is Ryan Leaf’s ex-wife, Nicole Lucia?
In 2001, Nicole Lucia and Ryan Leaf got married. Their two-year union ended in separation and divorce in November 2003.
Ray Lucia, a former certified financial planner who is also an author and broadcaster, is her father.
She spent three years on the San Diego Charger Girls dance team. During her senior year, Nicole worked with the Dallas Desperado dance team and was selected by the NFL as a Pro Bowl cheerleader.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she is currently an independent entrepreneur and owner of Danceology. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in 1999 while working as a CorePower Yoga instructor.
Ryan Leaf marries Anna Kleinsorge
Ryan Leaf’s Net Worth: How Rich Is He?
Ryan Leaf’s net worth is reportedly $1,000, according to Celebritynetworth.
He signed a four-year, $31.25 million contract with the Chargers as a football player, including a guaranteed signing bonus of $11.25 million.
His first season was marred by lackluster performances, which quickly dashed his high hopes for San Diego. He was penalized for skipping a symposium that was required of all chosen players.
His current employer, Transcend Recovery Community, pays him an hourly rate that ranges from approximately $13.84 for a technician to $29.50 for a mentor.
At Transcend Recovery Community, salaries for various positions range from approximately $33,206 for a program director to $57,555 for an accountant.
Ryan Organic Leaf
Former American football player Ryan David Leaf, who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons, was born on May 15, 1976. Between 1998 and 2001, he played for the Seattle Seahawks, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys.
Leaf played for the Washington State Cougars throughout his time in college, where he finished as a Heisman Trophy finalist in his junior season. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers with the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, behind Peyton Manning, but his career was cut short by poor performance, inappropriate behavior, injuries and issues with his work ethic and his ability to stay focused. He was named the best “draft bust” in NFL history on an episode of the NFL Top 10.
Leaf graduated from Washington State at the end of his NFL career. After receiving a 10-year probation sentence from a Texas judge in 2010, he began to run into legal problems related to narcotics. In Montana, Leaf pleaded guilty to burglary and possession of narcotics two years later. In December 2012, Leaf began serving a seven-year prison sentence after receiving a suspended sentence and a period of drug rehabilitation. Leaf was sentenced to five years in prison on September 9, 2014, for stealing prescription drugs from a Montana home while on probation in Texas. However, he was released from prison on December 3, 2014.
Leaf is currently employed by Transcend Recovery Community, a chain of sober living facilities with locations in New York, Houston and Los Angeles. He is also a radio host and television analyst for college football.
Professional career
In the final preseason game of 2000, Leaf contacted Trevor Gaylor on a pass to secure a 24-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals. After the game, he was featured on the cover of the September 4, 2000 issue of Sports Illustrated, with the caption “Back from the Brink”. His return was described as “his rise from pariah to perhaps outstanding professional passer” in the cover story. In the first two games of the 2000 campaign he started, but he only completed less than half of his passes and had five interceptions for just one score. In the Oakland Raiders’ 9-6 season opener win on Sept. 3, Leaf completed 17 of 39 attempts for 180 yards and three interceptions, including one on a 4th-and-inch play with 1 :37 to play that secured the Raiders victory. Due to a late hit by Raiders defensive tackle Regan Upshaw, he needed stitches for a gash in his chin and swelling in his left hand. In the next game, a 28-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Leaf completed 12 of 24 passes for 134 yards and completed his first touchdown since his rookie season, a 20 yard pass against Curtis Conway. However, Leaf also threw two interceptions, one of which cost the Chargers the game late in the game.
In Week 3, head coach Mike Riley intended to start reserve Moses Moreno, but Leaf took the field after Moreno suffered a shoulder injury. Leaf missed the next five games with a wrist sprain he suffered the following week. He publicly predicted the Chargers would release him at the end of the season in November and later that month rumors surfaced that Leaf injured his wrist to stop training and playing golf at the place.
On November 12, in the Week 11 game against the Miami Dolphins, Leaf took the place of Moreno. On his fourth snap, Leaf threw an interception. He then led the Chargers’ subsequent touchdown practice before leaving the game with less than a minute left with a hamstring injury sustained in a scramble. Three quarterbacks from the same team—in this case, Leaf, Moreno, and Jim Harbaugh—throwing interceptions in the same game for the first time since 1993. On Nov. 19 against the Denver Broncos, Leaf completed 13 of 27 passes, setting single-career highs for passing yards (311), passing touchdowns (3) and quarterback rating (111.8), though the Chargers trailed 38-37. The Chargers won their opener Nov. 26 by a score of 17-16 against the Kansas City Chiefs after an 0-11 start. After Leaf threw two touchdown passes to Freddie Jones, the Chargers built a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter. However, the offense faltered in the fourth quarter following two interceptions, one of which was returned for a score.
Private life
The daughter of financial radio personality Ray Lucia and a Charger cheerleader, Nicole Lucia, married Leaf in 2001. In November 2003, they separated and eventually divorced. He and former Georgetown Hoyas volleyball player Anna Kleinsorge got engaged in 2017.
From 2003 to 2006, his younger brother Brady Leaf served as backup quarterback for the Oregon Ducks behind Dennis Dixon.
The Associated Press reported in September 2010 that Leaf was visiting family in Montana.
He underwent surgery to remove a benign brainstem tumor in June 2011.
Peyton Manning, the player selected first in the general classification of the selection of 1998 in front of Leaf, and Leaf communicated frequently. When Manning’s statue was unveiled at Lucas Oil Stadium, Leaf emailed Manning’s family to express his gratitude. Manning’s family also contacted Leaf while Leaf was imprisoned.
