I remember that November day in 1995 when Ryan Leaf, a brash freshman from Washington State, nearly led the Cougars to an upset victory over Washington at Husky Stadium. Leaf threw for 291 yards in a 33-30 loss and, at the time, I wondered if he might go down in history as the greatest athlete to ever come out of Montana.
Seventeen years later, he’s proving me right. But the former NFL bust — he was the No. 2 pick behind Peyton Manning — has become famous for all of the wrong reasons. Leaf was arrested again on Monday in his hometown of Great Falls, Mont. That’s two arrests in four days.
Montana’s greatest athletes? It’s got to be Dave McNally, the former Baltimore Orioles lefty, or Dan Mortenson, one of the greatest rodeo competitors of all time. Both are from Billings. Greatest showman? Butte’s Evel Knievel.
As sad as Leaf’s tale is, here’s hoping the 35-year-old gets his life turned around at some point.
