LSU shares Ryan Leaf’s message to Tigers ahead of 2025 season
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
As Brian Kelly embarks on a crucial season at LSU, he invited a special motivational spark to inspire the Tigers. Former NFL No. 1 draft pick Ryan Leaf addressed the team on Aug. 19 to share his personal story.
The former Washington State quarterback was the first selection of the 1998 NFL Draft but fizzled out after 4 seasons and had an addiction to pills that resulted in prison time. Leaf encouraged LSU’s players to take control of their mental health while they’re still young with their aspirations ahead of them.
“I’ve looked. I’ve studied. I’ve tried to find the other ones. You can’t. You can only control your attitude, your behavior, and your effort…When you wake up in the morning you can choose to be happy regardless of situations…If your attitude is good, your behavior will follow.”
Leaf implored the players to strive for accountability in all of their interactions.
“You all have the opportunity to just take whatever you want from today,” Leaf said. “I don’t care what it is. It could be so simple that you just institute it in your mind when you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror. You look in the mirror and you go: ‘I really like that guy and I’m going to be that guy today for everybody in my circle.'”
Leaf cites his past as a cautionary tale to seize the moment when presented.
“Life isn’t fair, guys at any moment. I was a great football player. I was 1 of the best players that ever existed at the time. But because of how I dealt with failure is the reason why I didn’t have a Pro Football Hall of Fame career,” Leaf said. “There’s so many people that make it to that level that are talented. You only get 1 chance.”
