As a fan of college and pro football, as well as being a counselor for both theft classes and drug classes, I follow the off-field news of gridiron players closely.

There have been many players who found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Perhaps no athlete in any sport has made life as difficult on himself as Ryan Leaf.

Sometimes it makes you wonder how different his life would have been had he been the #1 pick in the NFL draft. As reported in CBS Sports, Leaf, a college star at Washington State University, was selected second by the San Diego Chargers in the 1998 draft.

The Chargers certainly wish he had been taken by the Indianapolis Colts with the #1 pick. Instead of Leaf, the Colts used their pick to draft quarterback Peyton Manning from Tennessee.

Ryan Leaf's NFL existence has been a tortured one pretty much from the moment he was taken. He lasted three years in San Diego, bounced around three other teams the next two seasons, and eventually was out of football altogether. 

In the decade since, the only time Leaf has made news was for all the wrong reasons. This time he was arrested on felony burglary, misdemeanor theft and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, in Great Falls, Mont. His charges include two felonies for possession of dangerous drugs and burglary and a misdemeanor charge of theft.

Leaf has had a history of run-ins with the law, which derailed his once-promising NFL career. Leaf’s troubles started in 2008 when he allegedly broke into a player’s home while working as a coach at West Texas A&M. An investigation found that he been stockpiling 1,000 pain pills for eight months. He is currently serving a 10-year probation sentence after pleading guilty to eight felony drug charges in 2009.

With high expectations, Leaf's NFL career did not go as planned. Injuries on the field resulted in eight surgeries in 15 years, leading to an addiction to prescription painkillers. 

Leaf retired, admitted himself into rehab, and has since focused his efforts on speaking with college athletes about lessons learned. He has also enjoyed numerous recent opportunities to be a sports commentator.

This is the area where he can do the most good. I would hope a drug class and a theft class, combined with the support of those close to him might keep him out of trouble. His tracking record is bad. Does he deserve a sixth or seventh chance? It will be up to a judge or jury to decide.