"Identified and selected to lead the rescue of the deteriorating Raiders, JaMarcus Russell came to Oakland as the designated franchise quarterback, a $40 million investment and, conceivably, a drug user.

Yet Russell, above all, is a human being.

Maybe the human aspect got lost in the football, obscured by the fumbles and interceptions and losses and finger-pointing and owner-vs.-coach beefs.

Russell's demons were with him all along. If they weren't rattling about his head when he reached Oakland, they stalked him from the instant he joined the Raiders family.

If he lacked the courage to admit those demons, or the desire and will to confront them, shame on JaMarcus.

Shame on the Raiders, though, if they served in the role of enablers — or knew of his potentially fatal struggle and were ill-equipped to provide assistance.

Triple shame on the organization if it was unaware of the demons that plagued him.

Within months of his arrival in the autumn of 2007 — a celebrated rookie from LSU — Russell's dirty business was a constant source of chatter on the streets of the Bay Area. The No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft and easily recognized by sports fans and young people of all stripes, Russell couldn't hide. Not that he tried."