JaMarcus Russell bio in highschool:
One of the nation's top rated quarterbacks ... A consensus top five national pro-style quarterback by every major recruiting publication ... Named to the prestigious Parade All-America Team ... Considered the No. 4 quarterback prospect in the country by College Football News ... Named Alabama's Mr. Football and SuperPrep Dixie Offensive Player of the Year ... Member of SuperPrep All-America Team, FSN South's Countdown to Signing Day “All-South” First Team, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 and the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team ... The all-time leading passer in Alabama history, throwing for 10,744 yards, eclipsing the mark set by former Alabama and current Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle ... A two-time 5A all-state selection who rewrote the record books with 84 touchdown passes ... Connected on 219-of-372 passes for 3,332 yards and 22 TDs as a senior ... On the ground, added 400 yards and 5 TDs in 2002 ... Passed for 1,850 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior ... A standout basketball star as well ... Coached by Bobby Parrish.
JaMarcus Russell bio in 2003
- Redshirted as a freshman in 2003.
JaMarcus Russell bio in 2004
- Redshirted freshman season
Served as Marcus Randall's backup for most of 2004 ... Played in 11 games, starting four times ... Engineered what was thought to be a fourth quarter comeback win against Iowa ... Trailing 24-12, he guided the Tigers on a pair of fourth quarter scoring drives against Iowa, giving LSU a 25-24 lead over the Hawkeyes with just 46 seconds remaining in the contest on a 3-yard TD pass to Skyler Green ... In the fourth quarter alone against Iowa, completed 12-of-15 passes for 128 yards and 2 TDs ... Got first career start against Florida ... Started consecutive games against Vanderbilt, Alabama and Ole Miss ... Played sparingly in the season finale against Arkansas ... Guided the Tigers to a comeback win in overtime against Oregon State in the season opener ... Finished the season connecting on 73-of-144 passes for 1,053 yards, 9 touchdowns and 4 interceptions ... Tossed 2 TDs in first collegiate game vs. Oregon State ... Followed that with a pair of TD passes the week after against Arkansas State ... Tossed for a career-best 151 yards on 7-of-11 passing against the Indians ... Connected on 9-of-12 passes for 137 yards and 1 score in a 51-0 win over Mississippi State ... Also rushed for a TD against Mississippi State.
JaMarcus Russell bio in 2005
- Sophomore season
LSU’s starting quarterback for first 12 in 2005 and fashioned a 10-2 record as the starter ... Led the Tigers to 4 fourth quarter comeback or overtime wins in 2005 ... Ranked third in the SEC in pass efficiency ... Connected on 188-of-311 passes for 2,443 yards, 15 touchdowns and just 9 interceptions ... Missed the Miami game in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl due to his shoulder injury suffered against Georgia in the SEC Championship game ... Injury came on a sack in the third quarter and he did not return to the contest ... Threw at least 1 TD pass in 9 straight games, a streak that came to an end against Georgia ... Threw a 39-yard TD pass to Early Doucet on a fourth-and-10 situation with just over a minute left to lift the Tigers to a 35-31 win over Arizona State in the season opener ... Hit Dwayne Bowe with a 13-yard TD pass in overtime to beat previously unbeaten Alabama ... Guided the Tigers to an overtime win over Auburn as well as a fourth quarter comeback victory against Florida ... Had consecutive 21-completion games against Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, both LSU wins ... Threw for a career-best 285 yards and 2 TDs in win over Vanderbilt ... The 2,443 passing yards ranks as the fifth-highest single-season total in school history ... His 188 completions also ranks fifth in school history, while the 15 TD passes is tied for eighth.
JaMarcus Russell bio in 2006
- Junior season
First-team All-SEC by both the AP and the SEC Coaches ... Joined Tommy Hodson (1987) as the only quarterbacks in LSU history to be named First-Team All-SEC by the AP and the SEC Coaches in the same season ... Capped junior season by leading the Tigers to a 41-14 win over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl ... Named the MVP of the Sugar Bowl after throwing for a career-best 332 yards and two touchdowns in the victory ... Also rushed for a score against the Irish ... Finished the game by connected on 21 of 34 passes ... Guided LSU to come-from-behind wins over Tennessee and Ole Miss this year ... Connected with WR Early Doucet on a 9-yard pass wtih nine seconds left to beat No. 8 Tennessee, 28-24 ... Followed that with a 5-yard TD pass to WR Dwayne Bowe on fourth down with 14 seconds left to force overtime against Ole Miss ... Led the SEC and ranked third in the NCAA in passing efficiency (167.0) ... Completed 232-of-342 passes (67.8 percent) for 3,129 yards and a school-record tying 28 touchdowns with eight interceptions this season ... His 67.8 completion percentage set the LSU single-season mark, while his 3,129 yards ranks second in school history ... Joined Rohan Davey as the only quarterbacks in school history to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season ... Also set the school-record for completions in a season with 232, breaking the previous mark of 229 held by Matt Mauck (2003) ... Named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week a league-leading three times ... Most recently honored after engineering a come-from-behind victory against eighth-ranked Tennessee, connecting with WR Early Doucet on a four-yard pass with nine seconds to go in regulation for the go ahead score ... Finished the day against the Vols going 24-of-36 for 247 yards and three touchdowns, to go along with a career-high 71 rushing yards ... Also honored by the conference following the Tigers’ victories over Kentucky and Mississippi State ... Completed 15-of-18 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns versus UK ... Connected on 18-of-20 passes for a career-high 330 yards and three TDs against the Bulldogs ... With the performance against MSU he broke LSU’s record for passing yards in a half (272) and tied the school records for consecutive completions in a contest (14) and completion percentage in a game (.900) ... Was also responsible for three TDs in each of the Tigers’ victories over ULL, Alabama and Ole Miss.
JaMarcus Russell Career highs:
One of the top quarterbacks in school history ... Finished ranked among the top five in every career passing category kept at LSU ... Compiled a 25-4 mark as LSU’s starting quarterback ... The 25 wins ties with Warren Rabb as the third-highest total in LSU history ... Ranked second all-time at LSU in career completion percentage (61.9) and career touchdown passes (52) ... Also ranks third in career completions (493) and career passing yards (6,625) and fourth in career attempts (797) ... Is just the fourth player in school history to go over the 6,000 yard mark in total offense (6,704 yards) ... Capped career ranked No. 3 in school history with 6,704 yards of total offense, just one yard shy of tying Jeff Wickersham for second place in school history ... Only the fourth quarterback in LSU history to pass for over 6,000 yards ... Connected with WR Dwayne Bowe on 23 TD passes which ranks the pair as the most prolific pass-catch scoring combo in school history ... Has engineered eight fourth quarter or overtime victories during his career ... Leaves LSU with single-season records in touchdown passes (tied Matt Mauck with 28), completions (232) and completion percentage (67.8) ... Is the only quarterback to lead the Tigers at least 10 wins in back-to-back seasons ... Russell won 10 games as a starter in 2005 and followed that by starting all 11 victories in 2006.