Carl Russ

James Carlton Russ (born February 16, 1953) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) from 1975 to 1977. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1972 to 1974.

Early life Russ was born in 1953 in Muskegon, Michigan.

Michigan Though recruited to play for the Indiana Hoosiers football team, Russ enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1971 without a football scholarship. He tried out for the Wolverines as a walk-on and played for Michigan's all-freshman team in 1971. He went on to become a backup in 1972. Russ 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.

During his two years as the starting wide linebacker at Michigan, the team compiled a record of 20-1-1.

Professional football Russ was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 13th round (315th overall pick) of the 1975 NFL draft. As a rookie in 1975, Russ was a backup for Tommy Nobis, but he appeared in 14 games.

Russ was acquired on waivers by the New York Jets after being released by the Falcons. Jets' coach Lou Holtz acquired Russ to start in place of Steve Poole, who had been injured. Russ 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, Russ missed the remainder of the 1976 season and underwent knee surgery during the offseason.

Later life In 1994, Russ was inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame.