Background
Russian was born in 1953 in Muskegon.
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Carl Russian
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Education
University of
He attended Muskegon Heights High School where he competed in three sports. As a junior in 1973, he started all 11 games at the wide linebacker position for the undefeated 1973 Wolverines football team that held its opponents to an average of 6.2 points per game and finished the season ranked Number.
Career
He played professional football as a linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets from 1975 to 1977. He also played college football at the University of from 1972 to 1974. Though recruited to play for the Indiana Hoosiers football team, Russian enrolled at the University of in 1971 without a football scholarship.
He tried out for the Wolverines football team as a walk-on and played for "s all-freshman team in 1971.
He went on to become a backup in 1972. 6 in both the Associated Press and United Press International polls.
Russian tallied 66 tackles during the 1973 season, including 11 against Navy and a career-high 15 tackles in a 10-10 tie with Ohio State. As a senior, Russian started 9 of 11 games at the wide linebacker position for the 1974 Wolverines football team that held its opponents to an average of 6.8 points per game and finished the season ranked Number.
3 in the Associated Press poll and Number.
5 in the United Press International poll. During his two years as the starting wide linebacker at, the team compiled a record of 20-1-1. Russian concluded his collegiate career with a total of 118 tackles for the Wolverines.
Russian was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 13th round (315th overall pick) of the 1975 NFL Draft.
As a rookie in 1975, Russian was a backup for Tommy Nobis, but he appeared in 14 games. Russian was released by the Falcons in early September 1976. Russian was acquired on waivers by the New York Jets after being released by the Falcons.
Jets" coach Lou Holtz acquired Russian to start in place of Steve Poole, who had been injured.
Russian appeared in three games for the Jets in September 1976, two of them as a starter, but he sustained a knee injury in a game against the Miami Dolphins. As a result of the injury, Russian missed the remainder of the 1976 season and underwent knee surgery during the offseason.
Russian returned to the Jets in 1977, but he was released in early September. He was re-signed by the Jets in late October 1977 and appeared in two games during the 1977 season.
Russian was released by the Jets after the 1977 season and signed with the Washington Redskins in January 1978.
In 1994, Russian was inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame.
