Pittsburgh (AP) — The great linebacker Andy Russell, who played a crucial role in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ transformation from a team
that was always losing to one that was winning, passed away. He was eighty-two.
Russell’s passing was verified by the team on Saturday. The cause and location of the death were not immediately known.
Russell, who was selected in the 16th round of the 1963 NFL Draft, went on to win two Super Bowls in his 12-year NFL career, which
was halted by a two-year military deployment. Russell captained the team for ten years and was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times.
Russell was chosen by his teammates as the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1971—a season that featured Terry Bradshaw, Jack Ham,
Joe Greene, and Mel Blount—future Hall of Famers.
The great Steelers teams of the 1970s had Andy as a cornerstone, according to a statement from Steelers president Art Rooney II.
“When Coach Chuck Noll took over as our head coach in 1969, he was one of the few players he managed to retain on the squad. Andy
served as the team captain, and Coach Noll relied heavily on his leadership as the Steelers advanced to four Super Bowl
Championships in the 1970s.
Throughout the initial part of his career, Russell and his No. 34 were among the few bright spots on a string of Steeler teams that
ended near the bottom of the league. Russell was equally heady and durable.
That was before Noll became head coach in 1969.
“You’re good folks, Noll remarked. You will behave well as citizens. In 2006, Russell told Pittsburgh Quarterly, “Unfortunately, you
can’t run fast enough or jump high enough, and I’m going to have to replace most of you.”
But not Russell, who established himself as a pillar of a defense that brought the team four Super Bowl victories in the 1970s. Working
in silence, Russell created a résumé that his teammates believe should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Russell’s six-season teammate Ham stated, “It would have been easy for (Andy) to give up or be sucked into the mediocrity that he saw
all around him, but he refused to do so.”
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