National Football League

Ryan Leaf's letter to his younger self: 'You don’t know sh*t'

Published Apr. 26, 2017 5:43 p.m. ET

Everyone associates Ryan Leaf with the term 'bust.'

And a quick look at the former quarterback's NFL stats ... 25 career games played, 3,666 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 36 interceptions ... and it's easy to see why.

But what we didn't know was the tremendous effect being a 'bust' had on Leaf's life.

https://twitter.com/RyanDLeaf/status/857272924390215680

As the former No. 2 pick in the 1998 NFL Draft tells it:

'You’ll grow tired of fans yelling at you. Tired of being a punchline. Tired of being looked at as a failure.'

On Wednesday, Leaf penned an emotional letter to his younger self in 'The Players' Tribune' and it's definitly worth a read.

'Here’s a snapshot of what your NFL career is going to be like: You’ll be named the starter right out of the gate as a rookie and you’ll win your first two games. Sounds great, right? Well, on one play in that second game, you’ll slide on the grass, and your socks and tights will basically melt into your skin. You’ll develop a staph infection that will land you in the hospital, but you’ll be determined to play the following week at Kansas City. You will play … and you’ll play the worst game you could possibly imagine. You’ll complete 1 of 15 passes for just four yards, with two interceptions and three lost fumbles, and your team will lose the game.'