If impersonating Ryan Leaf, do not do it in San Diego

There was a Brett Favre impersonator roaming around Green Bay this weekend, and the social media world was aflutter with jokes about crocks, fake retirements and cell phone photos. And it was allhilarious.

But why would somebody choose to impersonate Favre? Especially in Green Bay? The only place Favre is likely less popular is probably Minnesota or New York. Favre is about as welcome in Green Bay as Nevin Shapiro would be welcomed in Miami.

But that got me thinking (and I know you all hate that) what would be the worst situation for an impersonator to walk into? Here are my six choices.

And without further ado …

Rewind: Live Chat With Former WSU Quarterback Ryan Leaf

When Ryan Leaf finished his career at Washington State University, he had become one of the school's all-time QB greats.

As a junior in 1997, he passed for a then Pac-10 conference record of 33 touchdowns. He also helped the Cougars win their first Pac-10 conference championship in school history, which ended WSU's 67-year Rose Bowl drought.

After the season, Leaf finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting and was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year.

He was later selected No. 2 overall in the 1998 NFL Draft and played three seasons of professional football.

Leaf talked about his playing days at WSU, his new book 596 Switch, which talks about his troubled past, and much more in a live chat Oct. 19 on seattletimes.com.

Remember Ryan Leaf ?

This is Ryan Leaf.

No, not that one. Not the horse's ass. Not the selfish one. Not the painkiller addict who needed rehab. Not the guy arrested for burglary. Not the bully. Not the "knock it off" guy.

This, this is him.

"I let myself get caught up in all of the trappings of being an NFL quarterback," he said in a phone interview. "I became a bad guy. When it was Peyton [Manning] picked first and then me, it was presented as 'Peyton was the good guy and I was the black sheep,' and I went with it.

"What happened to my career and my life was no one else's fault but mine. When you're an NFL quarterback, you think the world revolves around you. Everyone tells you how great you are. Some guys handle it well and some guys don't. I didn't handle it well.

Ryan Leaf pleads guilty, admits painkiller addiction

Former Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf pleaded guilty to eight felony drug charges in Texas on Wednesday and then issued a public apology while admitting to an addiction to prescription drugs that he says is now behind him.

Leaf said he’s been clean for 17 months now and has received tremendous support from many people, including a “Cougar Nation” he says he mistakenly stayed away from previously because he thought he’d let them down with his failures in the NFL.

Leaf, 33, was sentenced to 10 years of probation and fined $20,000 after pleading guilty to seven counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and one count of deliver of a simulated controlled substance.

Leaf, who led WSU to the 1998 Rose Bowl before struggling with his NFL career, had been an assistant coach at West Texas A&M at the time of his arrest.

Ryan Leaf Busts Out Of His Shell

To the Colts, Peyton Manning. To the Chargers, Ryan Leaf.

Their names are forever linked, but their lives since the 1998 NFL Draft couldn’t be more distinct. Leaf’s brief stint in San Diego abruptly ended in 2000, his football career soon after. He’s widely considered the biggest quarterback flop in NFL history, south of JaMarcus Russell. After football, Leaf’s addiction to painkillers sunk him to new lows.

But Leaf is back and sober, and he was making the rounds Thursday on Radio Row. We had a chance to speak with him.

For a while now, there’s been talk of a changed Ryan Leaf. What does that mean? Has there been some sort of a transformation?

Ryan Leaf ESPN NFL Nation Blog