Former Steelers linebacker dies……
The 82-year-old linebacker Andy Russell, who played his whole NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and won a Super Bowl, passed away.
According to a source with Pittsburgh’s Action News 4, Russell passed away Thursday night. The Steelers were “saddened by the news of Andy Russell’s passing. He was one of the few players that Coach Chuck Noll kept on the team after he became our head coach in 1969,” according to a letter from team president Art Rooney II.
Rooney sent his sympathy to Russell’s family, who is still alive.
Russell was selected as the team MVP in 1971 and was a part of the renowned Steel Curtain defense. He appeared in seven Pro Bowls and won Super Bowls IX and X during his twelve years in the NFL.
Russell, who was drafted in 1963 out of the University of Missouri, departed the Steelers following his first season in order to complete his military ROTC requirements. In 1966, he made his comeback to the Black and Gold, where he remained until the end of the 1976 campaign, when he decided to retire.
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