Ryan Leaf Says Public Shaming At ’04 Boxing Event Triggered Rx Pill Addiction

Ryan Leaf says his battle with prescribed drugs all started again in 2004 … when he was booed and jeered so loudly at a giant boxing occasion, it despatched him right into a deep, downward spiral.

The previous San Diego Chargers quarterback opened up about his struggles with habit on Rex Chapman‘s “Charges with Rex Chapman” podcast this week … explaining intimately the horrible evening that hooked him on Rx capsules.

Leaf says he was at a battle in Las Vegas (he claims it was a Mike Tyson tilt, although it appears he has his boxers combined up as a result of Tyson did not battle in Vegas in ’04) … when the PA announcer started rattling off the checklist of celebs in attendance.

“They introduced Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Charles Barkley, Dr. Dre,” mentioned Leaf, who was 27 years previous on the time and had simply retired from the NFL.

“The viewers cheered and clapped. And, then the MC there on the MGM Grand introduced my title and like the entire auditorium simply booed and hissed.”

Leaf continued, “My addict mind heard not solely are you a horrible soccer participant however you’re an terrible human being.”

Ryan says that adverse reception had a big impact on him … and when he was supplied the prescription ache killer Vicodin to combine in together with his booze later within the night, he jumped on the alternative.

And, that is when he says his battle started.

“This could be the primary time I abused it and … I did not really feel that judgment, I did not really feel that concern, I did not really feel that lower than,” Leaf mentioned. “I did not really feel something.”

“I did not really feel higher but it surely seems I used to be simply looking for that feeling of not feeling any of the emotions that I had been feeling for therefore lengthy. I simply needed to numb out. And, that evening modified.”

Leaf says he went on to battle an habit with the prescription capsules for the subsequent EIGHT years … as he says he was “chasing that preliminary excessive from that evening.”