Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and two-time Super Bowl winner Andy Russell has died, according to reports. He was 82 years old.
Russell died on Thursday night, according to WTAE television, which first reported the news.
Russell was a 12-year veteran of the NFL and played his entire career with the Steelers from 1963 to 1976 after being drafted by Missouri in the 16th round of the 1963 NFL Draft. After his rookie season in 1963, Russell missed the 1964 and 1965 seasons due to military service in the US Army, but returned to the Steelers in 1966.
During his career, the 206 cm tall, 225 kg Russell earned seven Pro Bowl appearances and was an integral part of the Steelers’ prominent defensive units in the 1970s. The Detroit native helped lead the Steelers to victories in Super Bowl IX over the Minnesota Vikings in January 1975 and Super Bowl X over the Dallas Cowboys in January 1976.
Russell never missed a game for the Steelers in his career, playing in all 168 of the team’s 162 games. He retired from the NFL after the 1976 season at the age of 35, and finished his career with 38 passing balls, 18 interceptions, 10 fumbles recovered and one defensive touchdown.
Russell was inducted into the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honour in 2017.