| Scott Essman. 9th December, 2008 - 6:16 pm
 It's even better than the RUDY story. It might even supersede INVINCIBLE. Yes, NFL safety Brian Russell's story is truly amazing even though it might already be winding down.
A 1996 high school grad from Bishop Amat, a prep school in a small town in Los Angeles County, La Puente, Russell was known for being very smart on the field - "always knowing where the ball was," according to his father Paul, a community college football coach. Little known is that his eldest son was recruited to play quarterback first at the University of Pennsylvania in 1996 where he was the first freshman to ever start there. Dissatisfied with their program, he moved to San Diego State in 1997 where he redshirted. Some stints at quarterback followed, including a game at USC and some sensational performances as a rushing QB, but he moved to the other side of the ball in his junior year. He became a highly touted defensive secondary player with six games at safety and four at cornerback.
But then, the unfamiliar happened to Brian Russell - no NFL team drafted him. Perhaps it was the confusion about whether he was an offensive player (for a time, he was the offensive captain for SDSU) or a defensive player, where he played for his last season-and-a-half at his alma mater after a high school and early college career at QB.
Regardless, the NFL didn't come calling. But his dad Paul had roomed with former Seattle Seahawk quarterback Jim Zorn who made some calls and discovered that the Minnesota Vikings had some needs in their secondary. Right out of the aforementioned Hollywood movies based on true stories, Russell's situation became fortuitous as he went to the Vikings 2001 camp and was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent that spring.
It might have been the end of the story right there and then as five months later, he was waived by the team. But sensing Russell's strong work ethic, he convinced the powers that be that he was at least worthy of playing on the Vikings' practice squad, and he was signed to do so just days after the waive. Of course, a starting job in the NFL, what with the thousands of collegiate athletes who seek those positions, was still a long way off.
But Russell persisted, and an amazing thing occurred in 2002 - he gained the trust of coaches and other players and won real game playing time if not a desired starting job. Mind you, this was the team of Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss, but Russell filled a hole and played in every one of 2002's 16 games as first a special teams player, and then as a safety in somewhat limited playing time. On October 27 of that year, Russell achieved the dream of millions of boys of whom only a small fraction ever receive the chance: he entered a game as an NFL starter at strong safety.
If the story ended there, it might have reached RUDY-esque proportions; after all, this is the NFL we are discussing. But the really amazing part was just beginning for Russell in 2002. By 2003, at age 25, he won a full-time starting gig at safety on the Vikings. Needless to say, the people who want it most often take most advantage of their circumstances. Russell scored an interception - including one against Brett Favre - in each of his first six games and finished the season with a league-tying nine picks and a whopping 95 tackles (78 solo). Who was this player? Why hadn't anyone heard of him? What round was he taken in the draft? All of those questions would have to be answered in biographies such as this one. History-making, spectacular, unlikely in every sense - Brian Russell was an NFL star by the end of the 2003 season.
His next full season was still solid - he only had one interception but scored 61 solo tackles - 82 total - and was a cornerstone of the Viking defense. By now, Russell was getting guaranteed money, and he left the team that gave him that unforeseen break to sign with the newly restructured Cleveland Browns for 2005 and 2006. Granted, his numbers were slightly off with each succeeding year, somewhat induced by an elbow injury in 2006. But by this time, Russell had cemented his name in NFL stadiums as a legitimate starter.
By 2007, Russell had moved to Seattle to play with his mentor and personal angel in Jim Zorn who was coaching quarterbacks at his former team. Russell's 2007s numbers dipped again but still kept him in the running as a perennial starter. In 2008, even after Zorn moved to coach in Washington, Russell remained a starter for the Seahawks, racking up impressive if not staggering numbers to date.
Now 30, past the average age of most NFL players, and with Zorn having moved on, Russell's future is unclear. He certainly still has ability and can start for nearly any team. However, with the Seahawks ranking as the third-worst defense in the NFC, Russell's job security is likely limited on that team. Perhaps he can play for Zorn in Washington if a need arises, or perhaps he will continue on Seattle or another team until it's time to finally hang up the cleats. Either way, this heroic and little-known story is one for the ages. Perhaps one day, there will be a filmed version of Brian Russell's sensational tale. |
