FIRST DOWN! –
Sept.10, 2024 – Ryan was destined to be a star, but instead of a lucrative career in football, an addiction to pills took him from the top of his game to rock bottom in a prison cell.
Leaf was the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft, right behind Peyton Manning. Today, he is living a life of sobriety and publicly talking about his journey to help others.
His travels recently brought him to central Arkansas, where KARK’s Laura Monteverdi had a chance to sit down with him and talk one-on-one about the moment that changed everything.
When Leaf appears in front of a crowd these days, it isn’t on a football field. Instead, he’s taking the stage to tell his own story.
“I like the guy I see in the mirror,” Leaf said. “I didn’t for the longest time.”
The 48-year-old has come a long way from his playing days and the headline that used to haunt him.
