JaMarcus Russell launches comeback with Jeff Garcia as mentor

JaMarcus Russell and Jeff Garcia, here at Raiders camp in 2009, are back together for Russell's comeback try. (US Presswire)

“We're going to re-introduce you to that thing, man,” Jeff Garcia says, tossing JaMarcus Russell a football. “We're going to get comfortable with it again.”

So begins this Bleacher Report video documenting the first workout of Russell's latest comeback try. Russell did look comfortable throwing, but he also looked gassed and, as expected, out of shape.

The workout occurred Friday at TEST Football Academy in San Diego.

Garcia, 42, who was in Raiders training camp with Russell in 2009, looks better equipped for an NFL comeback than Russell, 27.

Russell reportedly was down to 308 pounds when he recently announced his comeback.

“People are always saying that I'm a bust," he told Yahoo! Sports. "I want to show them I'm not. I'm committed to this now."

Drafted first overall in 2007 following an MVP performance in the Sugar Bowl for LSU, Russell signed a six-year contract with the Raiders that included $31.5 milllion guaranteed. He was out of the league after three seasons.

Russell threw 18 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions while completing 52.1 percent of his throws.

In the video, Garcia tutors Russell on mechanics.

"I want to get just a basic analysis, a starting point, a foundation of what we're working with," says Garcia, a four-time Pro Bowler who played for seven NFL teams, "so that we can somewhat break him down and build him back up."

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