Ryan Leaf Has Benign Tumor Removed From Brain Stem

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf underwent surgery last week to remove a benign tumor from his brain stem, The Associated Press reports.

According to the report, Leaf had been experiencing dizziness and blurred vision before the procedure, which was performed in Santa Monica, California.

"I am looking forward to resting a bit and being with my family," Leaf said in the statement. "This was just another bridge for me to cross, and I will continue to live each day to the fullest and give back where I can!"

The second overall pick of the 1998 NFL Draft, Leaf started 21 of 24 games in his career, passing for 3,666 yards with 14 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. Leaf has been out of football since 2001 and is regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.

Leaf has battled an addition to painkillers, and is currently on 10 years' probation after pleading guilty to eight felony drug charges last month in Texas.

Regardless of what football fans think of his football career, Leaf is just 35 years old and has his whole life ahead of him. I wish him a speedy recovery and the best of luck going forward.