Former Steelers star, two-time Super Bowl champion Andy Russell dies at 82

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Former NFL linebacker Andy Russell, who helped the Pittsburgh Steelers transition from a struggling franchise into championship contenders, has died, the team confirmed on Saturday. He was 82.

The cause of Russell's death was not immediately known. 

Russell won two Super Bowls during his storied run with the Steelers. He was a 16th-round draft pick in 1963 and went on to play in the NFL for 12 years. But he hit pause on his football career for two years after his rookie season to fulfill his military commitment required as an ROTC member.

Russell was named to seven Pro Bowl teams and had a ten-year stint as a team captain.

"Andy was part of the foundation of the great Steelers teams of the 1970s," Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. "He was one of the few players kept by Coach Chuck Noll on the team after he became our head coach in 1969. Andy was the team captain and his leadership was a critical part of Coach Noll’s development of the 1970s Steelers, which paved the way to four Super Bowl Championships."

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Pittsburgh Steelers' Andy Russell (34) is shown in 1975. The Steelers announced Saturday, March 2, 2024, that Russell, a seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl winner during his 12-year career, has died at 82.   (AP Photo, File)

Russell's greatness was on full display during the 1975 postseason, when he set a playoff record for the longest fumble return. During a game against the Baltimore Colts, Russell picked up the ball and ran 93 yards for a touchdown.

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Sam Hubbard broke Russell's earlier this year when he had a 98-yard