Andy Russell, the Super Bowl-winning linebacker who spent his entire NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, has died at 82.
Russell died Thursday night, according to a Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 source. A letter from Art Rooney II, the Steelers’ president, said the team was “saddened by the news of the passing of Andy Russell. … He was one of the few players who Coach Chuck Noll kept on the team after he became our head coach in 1969.”
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Rooney extended condolences to Russell’s surviving family.
A member of the famed Steel Curtain defense, Russell was named team MVP in 1971. In his 12 years in the NFL, he made seven Pro Bowl appearances and won Super Bowls IX and X.
Linebacker Andy Russell #34 of the Pittsburgh Steelers sits on the sideline during a preseason game against the New York Jets at Three Rivers Stadium on September 4, 1976 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
George Gojkovich/Getty Images
Linebacker Andy Russell #34 of the Pittsburgh Steelers sits on the sideline during a preseason game against the New York Jets at Three Rivers Stadium on September 4, 1976 in Pittsburgh.
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Video above: Andy Russell joins former teammates for Immaculate Reception celebration
Drafted in 1963 from the University of Missouri, Russell left the Steelers after his rookie year to fulfill ROTC military obligations from his college days. He returned to the Black and Gold in 1966 and played until his retirement at the conclusion of the 1976 season.
