Darrell Russell (American football) facts for kids
Darrell Russell while with the Oakland Raiders
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| No. 96 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | May 27, 1976 Pensacola, Florida, US |
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| Died: | December 15, 2005 (aged 29) Los Angeles, California, US |
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| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 325 lb (147 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | San Diego (CA) St. Augustine | ||||||||
| College: | USC | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Darrell Anthony Russell, Jr. (born May 27, 1976) was an American football player. He played as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). Russell played for the Oakland Raiders and the Washington Redskins. He was known for his strong play in the early years of his career.
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Early Life and High School
Darrell Anthony Russell, Jr. was born in Pensacola, Florida. When he was four years old, his family moved to Southern California. He grew up in San Diego, where he attended St. Augustine High School.
College Career at USC
After high school, Russell went to the University of Southern California (USC). He played college football for the USC Trojans. In 1996, he had a fantastic season. He made 19 tackles that stopped opponents from gaining yards. Because of his great performance, he was chosen very early in the 1997 NFL Draft. The Oakland Raiders picked him as the second overall player. Russell was a big and fast player. He stood 6-foot-5-inch (196 cm) tall and weighed 320 pounds. He could run the 40-yard dash in just 4.8 seconds.
Professional Football Career
In 1997, Darrell Russell signed a big contract with the Raiders. It was worth $22 million over seven years. At that time, it was the largest contract ever for a rookie in the NFL.
Russell quickly became a star player. He made the Pro Bowl in both 1998 and 1999. During those years, he averaged ten sacks per season. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the opposing quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. He finished his career with 28.5 sacks.
However, Russell's career later faced challenges. These issues led to him missing playing time. He played in eight games for the Washington Redskins in 2003. His last NFL experience was during training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004.
NFL Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | COMB | TOTAL | AST | SACK | FF | FR | FR YDS | INT | IR YDS | AVG IR | LNG | TD | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | OAK | 16 | 43 | 34 | 9 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1998 | OAK | 16 | 63 | 55 | 8 | 10.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1999 | OAK | 16 | 43 | 32 | 11 | 9.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2000 | OAK | 16 | 33 | 24 | 9 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 2001 | OAK | 11 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2003 | WSH | 8 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 83 | 229 | 179 | 50 | 28.5 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
Key
- GP: games played
- COMB: combined tackles
- TOTAL: total tackles
- AST: assisted tackles
- SACK: sacks
- FF: forced fumbles
- FR: fumble recoveries
- FR YDS: fumble return yards
- INT: interceptions
- IR YDS: interception return yards
- AVG IR: average interception return
- LNG: longest interception return
- TD: interceptions returned for touchdown
- PD: passes defensed
Acting Role
In 2002, Darrell Russell appeared on a TV show called The Jersey. He played himself in an episode titled "Coleman's Big Date." The show was about kids who could magically switch bodies with famous athletes.
Death
Darrell Russell passed away on December 15, 2005. He was a passenger in a car driven by his friend, Michael Bastianelli. The car lost control and hit several objects before hitting a parked bus. Both men were taken to the hospital but did not survive.
