| Darrell Russell | |
|---|---|
| Position(s): Defensive tackle |
Jersey #(s): 96 |
Born: May 27 1976 Pensacola, Florida |
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Died: December 15 2005 (aged 29) Los Angeles, California |
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| Career Information | |
| Year(s): 1997-2003 | |
| NFL Draft: 1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | |
| College: USC | |
| Professional Teams | |
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| Career Stats | |
| Sacks | 28.5 |
| INTs | 3 |
| Games | 83 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Career Highlights and Awards | |
Darrell A. Russell (May 27, 1976 – December 15, 2005) was an American football defensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins of the NFL who died in a car crash near Los Angeles after being indefinitely banned from the NFL for repeated violations of the league's substance abuse policy.
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Early life
Russell was born in Pensacola, Florida, grew up in a rough part of San Diego just a few blocks from Lincoln Kennedy. Russell graduated from St. Augustine High School.
College career
He attended the University of Southern California and was taken second overall in the 1997 NFL Draft by the Raiders.
Professional career
He went on to have 28.5 career sacks. After making the Pro Bowl in 1998 and 1999, averaging 10 sacks per year, Russell was suspended four games in 2001 for failing to comply with the NFL's drug policy. Shortly after that, he tested positive for another banned substance and was slapped with a one-year suspension that later was made indefinite by the league. Russell's positive drug test in 2004 was his seventh infraction of the league's policy. Russell missed 1½ years while serving two league suspensions before he played in eight games in 2003 for the Washington Redskins. His last NFL experience was in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp in 2004.
Personal
He was accused in 2002 of videotaping the rape of a woman — who had been drugged with GHB — by two friends, but prosecutors dropped the charges. On December 15, 2005, Russell was a passenger in a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by close friend, and ex-teammate Michael Bastianelli when it veered out of control, hitting several items including a tree and a fire hydrant before hitting a parked bus. Both men were found unconscious and taken to area hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.
