Oakland Raiders: The Ghost of No. 2, JaMarcus Russell | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

In his time with the Oakland Raiders, JaMarcus Russell played in 31 games where he had a 52.1 completion percentage, 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. 

His passer rating was 65.2.

The former overall No. 1 pick is considered to be one of, if not the, biggest draft busts in the history of the NFL, and his presence still haunts the Raider's organization today.

On August 22, the Raiders selected Terrelle Pryor in the third round of the 2011 NFL supplemental draft. Just a few years ago, Pryor was the No. 1 prospect entering college, and when he signed with Ohio State, he became the starting quarterback during his freshman year. His speed and solid arm made him a dangerous college QB, which he showed during Rose and Sugar Bowl wins in his sophomore and junior seasons.

Pryor was then suspended for the first five games of the 2011 seasons due to allegations of receiving improper benefits, which resulted in his withdrawal from Ohio State in June and his entering into the NFL supplemental draft.

Pryor could be a great player in the NFL for Oakland, but the image of Russell failing on the field is fresh in their minds. Pryor wore No. 2 when he played for the Buckeyes. Russell wore No. 2 for the Raiders. 

Naturally, when the Raiders asked Pryor what number he wanted, he said he would like No. 2. On Friday, sportswriter Vittorio Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted that the Raiders won't let Pryor wear No. 2. He also said that "Jamarcus Russell was very big, but his ghost is bigger."

Pryor has at least five games before he will be playing in any games for the Raiders this season, and he will not be doing it wearing No. 2. There is no way to know how well he will perform when he gets on the field and whether he plays quarterback, wide receiver or a Brad Smith-type of role. 

The Raiders have made it clear that they want no second coming of JaMarcus Russell, and they are going to make sure that Pryor will be no ghost of Russell.