Pittsburgh Steelers legend Andy Russell has passed away. Who was the legendary linebacker?
The Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans are in mourning this week after news confirmed the passing of a legend of the game and more importantly, a good man.
After proving himself as a force to be reckoned with on the field, the late Steelers great went on to do just the same for the good of others following a more than impressive playing career.
Andy Russell has passed away
According to reports, former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, Andy Russell, passed away on Thursday night at the age of 82 years old. Drafted by the Steelers in the 16th round of the 1963 NFL Draft, Russell would turn heads in his rookie season before missing the campaigns of 1964 and ‘65 due to military surface. When he returned to the team in 1966, however, it was as if he had never left. Indeed, he would go on to play a total of 12 seasons for the black and gold as a linebacker, establishing himself as a central part of the team’s infamous ‘Steel Curtain’ defense of the 1970s.
During that time the Detroit native would be selected for the Pro Bowl on seven occasions while winning two Super Bowls in 1975 and ‘76. Incredibly, Russell played in all 14 games of each season during his career. Such was his effect on the franchise, that the Steelers awarded him with two historical honors: An All-Time Team selection and an induction into the team’s Hall of Honor. Naturally, he is also a member of the Steelers’ Hall of Fame. Where his numbers are concerned, Russell ended his career with 38 sacks and 18 interceptions across 168 games.
Yet, perhaps the best example of who Andy Russell was can be seen in what he did after the curtain came down. Following his time in the NFL, Russell started the Andy Russell Charitable Foundation and was even named Big Brothers and Sisters Man of the Year in 1989. According to the foundation’s website, it was created with a “mission and purpose of raising funds to primarily support services and programs focused on children’s needs, nutrition initiatives, veteran’s services, cancer research, and the Departments of Urology and Sports Medicine Concussion Program at UPMC.”