Andy Russell obit

Pittsburgh Steelers great Andy Russell dies at 82

 

He was not on the list.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh Steelers great Andy Russell has died at 82 years old.

The two-time Super Bowl champion played 12 seasons for the black and gold as a linebacker, etching his name in Steelers history for his on- and off-field work.

He joined the team in 1963 after being drafted in the 16th round out of Missouri. After his rookie season, he served two years in the Army to fulfill ROTC duties.

Russell rejoined Pittsburgh in 1966 and the rest is history. He was a key piece on the Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s and was named to the Pro Bowl seven times, including six consecutive appearances from 1970 to 1975. He was also a second-team All-Pro member in 1972.

He finished his career with 38 sacks, 18 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries over 168 games.

After football, Russell started the Andy Russell Charitable Foundation and was named Big Brothers and Sisters Man of the Year in 1989.

The foundation, according to its website, 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."

In a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Missouri football said, "The @MizzouFootball brotherhood lost a great one with the passing of Andy Russell. From St. Louis to Columbia to the Pittsburgh Steelers few have played the game like Andy Russell."

He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, and earned both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in economics from the University of Missouri.

As a freshman in high school, he moved from the New York area to St. Louis, attending Ladue High School. He graduated from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in 1959. Having never played football in the East, he became a starter as a sophomore, playing end. In his junior and senior year, he played fullback and linebacker, earning all-state honors in his senior year. Heavily recruited by out-state universities, he selected Missouri and began a tradition of St. Louis area football players attending their home-state university under Coach Dan Devine.

After playing for the Steelers his rookie season in 1963 and just missing out on playing the Chicago Bears for the NFL Championship, Russell temporarily left the team for the Army to fulfill ROTC commitments from Missouri. He then returned to the Steelers in 1966, where he would spend the next 11 seasons.

Russell was an early member of Pittsburgh's famed Steel Curtain defense, and was named the Steelers' MVP in 1971. He made seven Pro Bowl appearances—in 1969 and from 1971 through 1976—and earned two Super Bowl rings in Super Bowl IX and Super Bowl X. On December 27, 1975, he set the NFL playoff record for a returned touchdown–93 yards in a Three Rivers Stadium victory over the Baltimore Colts. Some have claimed it as the longest football play from scrimmage in time duration. In 2011, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Russell to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2011.

His cause of death is unknown.

 

Career history

Pittsburgh Steelers (1963, 1966–1976)

Career highlights and awards

2× Super Bowl champion (IX, X)

First-team All-Pro (1975)

3× Second-team All-Pro (1968, 1970, 1972)

7× Pro Bowl (1968, 1970–1975)

Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team

Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor

Pittsburgh Pro Football Hall of Fame

Career NFL statistics

Interceptions:            18

Interception yards:   238

Touchdowns:            1