A native of Cincinnati, Russ attended Roger Bacon High School and then played college football for Purdue from 1959 to 1961.
[1] He and Larry Bowie anchored the defensive line on the 1961 Purdue Boilermakers football team that was ranked No.
11 in the final UPI poll and led the Big Ten Conference in rushing defense, giving up an average of only 121 yards per game.
He impressed the Vikings' coaching staff during the 1962 pre-season but was placed on waivers prior to the start of the regular season and spent the 1962 on the club's taxi squad.
[5] He joined the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League in 1965 but was cut before the start of the regular season.