Russell Davis

Russell Davis III (born September 15, 1956) is an American former professional football player.

Davis played college football, principally as a fullback, at the University of Michigan from 1975 to 1978. After rushing for 1,092 yards as a junior, he was selected as the Most Valuable Player on the 1977 Michigan Wolverines football team that won the Big Ten Conference championship. As a senior, he was a co-captain of the 1978 Michigan team and a first-team All-Big Ten running back. In four years at Michigan, he carried the ball 523 times for 2,560 yards and 18 touchdowns. He played in the 1979 East–West Shrine Game and set Shrine Game records with six touchdowns and 199 rushing yards.

Davis played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1979 to 1983. He appeared in 42 games for the Steelers, only two as a starter, and totaled 472 rushing yards, 168 yards on kickoff returns, and 45 receiving yards.

Early life Davis was born in Millen, Georgia, in 1956. He began high school at Hayfield High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, but transferred prior to his junior year to Woodbridge High School in Woodbridge, Virginia. Woodbridge's football coach spotted the 6 feet 2, 215 pound track athlete and suggested he try out for the football team.

Davis was one of the most heavily recruited high school football players in Northern Virginia history,

1975 season As a true freshman, Davis was a backup tailback behind Gordon Bell on the 1975 Michigan Wolverines football team. Davis carried the ball 40 times for 178 rushing yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 21 yards in 1975. On 105 carries, Davis rushed for 596 yards, five touchdowns, and a career-high 5.7 yards per carry. and totaled 1,092 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 225 carries. He also caught 15 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown. In the 1978 Rose Bowl loss to Washington Huskies football, Davis had 79 rushing yards, 26 receiving yards and a touchdown. Davis started all 12 games at fullback and rushed for 683 yards on 153 carries.

In January 1979, Davis played in the East–West Shrine Game in Palo Alto, California, and rushed for 199 yards scored six touchdowns, including five touchdowns in the second half, as the East team defeated the West team by a 56–17 score. Davis set Shrine Game records both with his six touchdowns and his 199 rushing yards.

Career statistics In four years at Michigan, Davis played in three Rose Bowl games, carried the ball 523 times and totaled of 2,550 rushing yards (4.9 yards per carry) and 18 rushing touchdowns. He had five games in which he rushed for at least 100 yards, including a career-high 134 yards against Purdue in 1978. In 1980, Davis appeared in 14 games for the Steelers, including two games as the team's starting running back. He carried the ball 33 times for 132 yards and a touchdown in 1980. Russell now supports his community through efforts with Iconiq Corvette Club, Lansing, MI.

Davis was one of 4,500 former NFL players to make a claim against the NFL for long-term health problems resulting from their years playing in the league. Davis stated that he could not recall how many concussions he suffered while playing in the NFL, but he recalled one game in which a blow caused him to lose his vision and be hospitalized. He contended that he suffered from progressive memory loss and anxiety as a result of his football injuries. In 2013, the claims were settled upon an agreement to establish a $765 million fund for the benefit of the former players. At the time of the settlement, Davis expressed satisfaction, saying, "The players need help, immediate help. Guys are getting worse."