Carl Russ
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Muskegon, Michigan, U.S.
 Dave Gallagher and Russ (#33) in 1973 | |||||
| No. 59, 53, 57 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born | February 16, 1953 Muskegon, Michigan, U.S. | ||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
| Listed weight | 227 lb (103 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school | Muskegon Heights | ||||
| College | Michigan | ||||
| NFL draft | 1975: 13th round, 315th overall pick | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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James Carlton Russ (born February 16, 1953) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) from 1975 to 1977. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1972 to 1974.
Russ was born in 1953 in Muskegon, Michigan.[1] He attended Muskegon Heights High School where he competed in three sports.[2]
Michigan
Though recruited to play for the Indiana Hoosiers football team, Russ enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1971 without a football scholarship. He tried out for the Wolverines as a walk-on and played for Michigan's all-freshman team in 1971.[2][3] He went on to become a backup in 1972.[2]
As a junior in 1973, he started all 11 games at the wide linebacker position for the undefeated 1973 Michigan Wolverines football team that held its opponents to an average of 6.2 points per game and finished the season ranked No. 6 in both the AP and UPI polls.[4] Russ tallied 66 tackles during the 1973 season, including 11 against Navy and a career-high 15 tackles in a 10-10 tie with Ohio State.[5]
As a senior, Russ started 9 of 11 games at the wide linebacker position for the 1974 Michigan Wolverines football team that held its opponents to an average of 6.8 points per game and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the AP poll and No. 5 in the UPI poll.[6]
During his two years as the starting wide linebacker at Michigan, the team compiled a record of 20-1-1.[4][6] Russ concluded his collegiate career with a total of 118 tackles for the Wolverines.[5]