REST IN PEACE: Steelers legend, 4-time Super Bowl champion dies at …..
Andy Russell, an unsung but crucially important part of the famed Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defense, died at the age of 82. While he was not present throughout the team’s golden time in the 1970s, the former linebacker is still remembered in franchise history.
Russell was taken in the sixth round of the 1963 NFL Draft and spent his entire 11-year career with the Steelers, missing the 1964 and 1965 seasons due to military service. He received four All-Pro selections and was named to the Pro Bowl seven times, demonstrating why the Steelers enshrined him into their Hall of Fame and gave him a coveted spot on their all-time roster.
His influence on the field (38 sacks, 18 interceptions, and 10 fumble recoveries in 168 games) and the bond he formed with the fans are forever imprinted on the city and its culture, but maybe more importantly, was the impression he made on those who knew him personally.
“He came to us and was immediately a leader — the same thing as in college and the military,” current owner Art Rooney II told Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I heard the Steelers were looking for a team captain, and perhaps it was center [Ray] Mansfield who said, ‘Hey, Andy’s a captain.'” “He always gave his all.
“It’s one thing to have a coach, but a guy who’s playing the other linebacker {position} telling me about the things you have to look for and so forth was so helpful to me,” Russell’s former colleague and fellow franchise great Jack Ham added. “And he didn’t have to do that as one of those seasoned veterans, but he took time to do that with me, and I will always be indebted to him for that.”
Everything came together in 1974, when the Steelers won their first Super Bowl against the Minnesota Vikings. They returned the next year and established what is often regarded as the greatest dynasty in history. Russell’s 93-yard touchdown in the 1975 AFC Divisional Round set the NFL record for longest return score until Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard broke it last year.
Andy Russell retired after 1976, losing out on two more championships by the end of the decade, but he helped build the groundwork for one of football’s most cherished traditions. When fans wave their Terrible Towels come September and beyond, hopefully they will remember one of the guys who first instilled so much pride in the Black and Gold Nation