Former Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell was removed from the football coaching staff at his former high school in Mobile, Ala., after he was sued for allegedly stealing $74,000 that was meant as a donation to the school.
According to WKRG Sports, Russell joined the football staff at Williamson High School back in 2018 and was removed as a volunteer assistant coach in the middle of the season last year.
“JaMarcus Russell was relieved of his volunteer coaching duties at Williamson High School during the fall of last year,” Mobile County Public School officials told WKRG Sports.
While the school did not confirm whether his removal was related to the lawsuit, court documents show that Russell deposited and cashed a $74,000 check at Navigator Credit Union in July 2022.
Chris Knowles, who wrote the check, said the money was a donation to the Williamson football program on behalf his business Selwonk Enterprises, a local building company.
Knowles said Russell approached him in the summer of 2022 about making a donation to the Williamson football program for weight room equipment. However, after writing the check, Russell failed to provide a receipt and stopped returning Knowles' phone calls. Knowles, in turn, stopped payment on the check.
Navigator Credit Union is suing Russell for a portion of the check, nearly $55,000, paid to him by mistake on the same day of the deposit. The lawsuit, filed in March 2023, says the money was ‘lent’ to Russell by the credit union at his request.
Russell has since filed a counterclaim against Knowles for stopping payment on the check. While Russell admits depositing the check, he denies wrongdoing.
Sources close to the Williamson football program tell WKRG Sports that Russell recently attended an off-campus event where the Lions football team was competing — prompting a letter from MCPSS to Williamson staff members.
“Earlier this week, it was reiterated to Mr. Russell that he is not permitted to be around the football program or on school campus,” MCPSS officials said in a statement to WKRG.
