Ryan Leaf lost everything. Now he’s the voice of a Pac-12 finding its way back too

Ryan Leaf believes he has a superpower.

Not flying. Not super strength. Not invincibility or teleportation.

His superpower, he says, is something much less flashy:

“I don't think other people have the same perspective I have,” Leaf told USA TODAY Sports. “How grateful I am for everything that has happened.”

And "everything" barely begins to cover it.

Even those too young to have watched Leaf play likely know his story. The former Washington State star led the Cougars to the 1998 Rose Bowl and finished as a Heisman Trophy finalist. In the lead-up to the 1998 NFL Draft, the biggest question in football was simple: Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf?

The Indianapolis Colts chose Manning with the No. 1 pick. The San Diego Chargers selected Leaf second.

What followed made Leaf one of the most infamous cautionary tales in sports.

A combination of poor play, injuries and clashes with teammates, coaches and the media derailed his NFL career almost immediately. Across 25 games, he threw just 14 touchdown passes against 36 interceptions and became synonymous with the word "bust."

But the struggles on the field were only the beginning.

Substance abuse, burglary and drug charges, multiple arrests and a suicide…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/