Legendary Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Andy Russell, a two-time Super Bowl champion, has died. He was 82.
Russell died on Friday, according to the Steelers. A cause of death isn’t immediately known.
Russell was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection while part of the famous Steel Curtain defense. The Steelers won Super Bowl IX and X during Russell’s tenure.
Russell was part of a star-studded trio of linebackers featuring Jack Lambert in the middle and Jack Ham on the other side.
“If you want to be a great linebacker, you also have to be smart out there, and he taught me the mental part of the game,” Ham told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I think that’s what set him apart and made his career such a great career here in Pittsburgh.”
Russell was a 16th-round pick in 1963 and played 12 seasons with Pittsburgh, beginning in 1963 before serving a two-year military stint. He returned to play from 1966-76 and put together a streak of 168 consecutive games played, never missing a game during his career.
In the 1975 postseason, Russell set a playoff record for longest fumble return when he picked up the ball and ran 93 yards for a touchdown against the Baltimore Colts. The record stood until Sam Hubbard of the Cincinnati Bengals had a 98-yard return against the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 15, 2023.
“We are saddened by the news of the passing of Andy Russell,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “Andy was part of the foundation of the great Steelers teams of the 1970s. He was one of the few players kept by Coach Chuck Noll on the team after he became our head coach in 1969. Andy was the team captain and his leadership was a critical part of Coach Noll’s development of the 1970s Steelers, which paved the way to 4 Super Bowl Championships. We were excited to induct Andy into our inaugural Steelers’ Hall of Honor class in 2017.
“Andy went on to have a very successful career in business after his playing days and was a constant presence in the Pittsburgh Community. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Cindy, and the Russell Family.”
Before his NFL career, Russell played linebacker and running back for Missouri. He was inducted into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.
Field Level Media contributed to this report.