Russell was born October 29, 1941, in Detroit, Michigan to a family that relocated multiple times in his childhood (to Chicago and New York) due to his father's work as an executive with the Monsanto chemical company.
He attended Ladue High School and graduated in 1959 to the interest of colleges that wanted to recruit a player nicknamed “the Horse” for his power as a stiff-armed tackler.
[7] His father did not wish for him to play professional football, and Russell put a "no" on every questionnaire mailed to him by prospective NFL teams.
After playing for the Steelers his rookie season in 1963, Russell temporarily left the team for the Army to fulfill ROTC commitments that had him stationed in Germany.
Russell would play the next eleven seasons and graduate with an M.B.A. from Missouri in economics/finance in 1967 (the following year, he formed his own company involving investment vehicle syndicates).
[11] On December 27, 1975, Russell set the NFL playoff record for a returned touchdown–93 yards in a Three Rivers Stadium victory over the Baltimore Colts.
[16][17] After his playing days ended, Russell maintained his interest in business and investing to go along with endurance canoeing, mountain climbing, and philanthropy.
Russell's most recent charitable work before his death was Everyone's Playground,[19] a park for special needs children located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.