LOOK: Ryan Leaf shares incredible pre-draft letter that trashed Peyton Manning
By SDS Staff
Published:
There are cold takes, and then there’s what Ryan Leaf shared on Twitter on Thursday.
The former Washington State star and NFL bust was of course, a major subject of debate before the 1998 NFL Draft. Some believed the Indianapolis Colts should select Leaf, while others believed that Tennessee star Peyton Manning was the quarterback of the future.
Apparently before the draft, Colts owner Jim Irsay requested a $30 million loan to lock down Manning. It was denied. Big time.
Leaf was recently made aware of a letter written from Hunter S. Thompson to Irsay. In it, Thompson explained why he wouldn’t loan Irsay the $30 million for Manning, but that he would for Leaf.
This is gold:
So I received this letter last week. It’s written by Hunter S Thompson to @Colts Owner Jim Irsay in 1998 a month before the NFL Draft. This is unbelievable, hysterical, & ludicrous!! Have a read. @richeisen and I will discuss today on @RichEisenShow at 11:00 AM PT. #mindblown pic.twitter.com/AWStCEiSTM
— Ryan D Leaf (@RyanDLeaf) July 5, 2018
In case you couldn’t read the letter, some of the highlights were Thompson writing that “(Leaf) looks strong & Manning doesn’t.”
The best part might be Thompson asking Irsay, “How are you fixed at left OT for the next few years, James? Think about it. You don’t want a china doll back there when that freak (Warren) Sapp comes crashing in.”
Unbelievable.
Needless to say, Thompson’s pre-draft take was as cold as it gets.
Here’s Leaf talking about the letter on the Rich Eisen Show:
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