- Source of Wealth: Sports
- Age: 43
- Birth Place: Great Falls, Montana, United States
- Height: 6′ 5″ (1.96 m)
- Weight: 235 lb (107 kg)
- Marital Status: Divorced (Nicole Lucia)
- Full Name: Ryan David Leaf
- Nationality: American
- Date of Birth: May 15, 1976
- Occupation: Football player
- Education: Washington State University
Former American football player Ryan Leaf has an estimated net worth of $10 million. He earned his net worth as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) where he played for four seasons. He was born Ryan David Leaf on May 15, 1976 in Great Falls, Montana. He led Charles M. Russell High School to the 1992 Montana state title. He considered playing college football as a linebacker at the University of Miami but he chose to be a quarterback for the Washington State Cougars instead. Coach Mike Price, who had coached longtime Patriot starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe, promised him that he would play in the Rose Bowl. He had a successful year at the university where he was a finalist for the Heisman trophy after his junior year.
Leaf was the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers as the second overall pick in the NFL draft behind Peyton Manning. He announced that he would forego his senior year at the Washington State University and turn professional. The Chargers signed him a four-year contract worth $31.25 million, including a guaranteed $11.25 million signing bonus. High hopes for him were soon dashed with his bad performances in his rookie season. An episode of the NFL Top 10 ranked him as the No. 1 “draft bust” in NFL history.
When his NFL career ended, Ryan Leaf completed his degree at Washington State University. He became an unpaid volunteer quarterbacks coach at West Texas A&M University in 2006. He resigned in 2008 after allegedly asking a player for pain medication. Beginning 2010, he encountered legal troubles involving drugs after a Texas judge sentenced him to 10 years probation. He pleaded guilty to felony burglary and drug possession in Montana two years later. In December 2012, he began serving a seven-year sentence in state prison after a suspended sentence with a stint in drug rehabilitation.