Albion College

Russell was Albion College's first premier hurdler,lettering in the high hurdles 1926, 1927, 1928, and was a member ofthe 1928 MIAA Championship track team. However, it was in the roleas the manager of the 1927 football team that Russell etched hisname in Albion College athletic history.

On Thanksgiving Day, 1927, during the game against WesternState Teacher's College, injuries to many of the players left theBritons short-handed. As team manager, Russell had learned thesignals in practice. This day, however, he was called on to leavethe sidelines and enter the game. The accomplishments of themanager-turned-player were described in the followingday's Battle Creek Enquirer, “Courtrightromped into the game, caught five punts without a fumble, ran backkickoffs, blocked and tackled like a veteran and staved off acouple of normal rushes for scores that might have seen Albionbeaten worse than the final 19 to 0 victory that theyscored.”

Russell lives in Portage with his wife Esther.