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Ex-Raider/Redskin Russell dies in accident (merged)


TXREDSKINS44

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I don't have a link because it just flashed up on ESPN, but the ticker indicated that Darrell Russell, the troubled d-lineman who played for us after his NFL suspension expired, was killed in a car crash. That's all the info I have.

I never liked the fact that we signed him and I didn't like him wearing the burgundy and gold, but he's gone now so rest in peace.

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For the love of God, people, do a search.

Henry, I used the search function and searched for Darrell Russell before posting my thread, and the threads that appeared had nothing to do with his death. I guess I should have included the word "killed," but I tried.

I guess the results you get when you do a search aren't ordered by most recent?

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Former NFL defensive lineman Darrell Russell was one of two people killed in a violent car accident Thursday morning in Los Angeles.

Russell was a passenger in a car that apparently lost control and hit a curb, then ran over a hydrant and knocked over several news racks before striking a bus, which was out of service with its flashers on.

Police detective Mike Fischer identified Russell, 29, of Santa Monica, as one of the two fatalities in the accident.

The driver, who has not yet been identified, was taken to UCLA Medical Center in full cardiac arrest and pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Russell was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The vehicle was moving "at a high rate of speed," but investigators have found no evidence of racing, despite earlier reports from an MTA spokesman, according to police spokesman Kevin Maiberger.

Russell was the second overall player selected by the Raiders in the 1997 NFL draft. He played in Oakland from 1997-2002 before moving on to the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who released him in July 2004 before he ever played a game with them.

Russell played with the Redskins in 2003 after he was reinstated by the NFL following a 1 1/2-year suspension for a second violation of the league's substance abuse policy.

The 6-foot-5, 325-pound tackle had 28 1/2 sacks in five seasons with the Raiders and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl in 1998 and 1999. He failed a drug test and sat out the first four games of the 2001 season, then was suspended by the NFL for a second violation of the league's substance abuse policy.

Russell's suspension was extended by three months because commissioner Paul Tagliabue wasn't satisfied with his off-field behavior during that period. In 2002, Russell was charged as an accomplice in a sexual assault case against two friends, but prosecutors dropped the charges.

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Former NFL Player Darrell Russell Killed in LA Car Crash

http://sports.iwon.com/news/12152005/v3910.html

Dec 15, 4:41 PM (ET) Email this Story

By TIM MOLLOY

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Darrell Russell, a former standout NFL and Southern California defensive lineman, was killed in a high-speed car crash early Thursday.

Russell, 29, was a passenger in a car that went out of control about 6 a.m. and hit a curb, tree, newsstand, fire hydrant, light pole, another tree and an unoccupied transit bus, Lt. Paul Vernon said.

Both Russell and the unidentified driver were unconscious when firefighters arrived. Russell died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The driver died at UCLA Medical Center.

The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Russell, the No. 2 overall pick by Oakland in the 1997 draft, had a promising start in the NFL before substance abuse problems derailed his career. He had 28½ sacks in five seasons with Raiders, making the Pro Bowl in 1998 and 1999.

He was suspended three times for violating the league's substance abuse policy and his career never really recovered. After being released by the Raiders at the end of his second suspension, he played briefly for the Washington Redskins in 2003 and was released in training camp by Tampa Bay the following year.

Russell's first suspension came after he failed a drug test, forcing him to miss the first four games of the 2001 season. The NFL does not disclose details of substance-abuse violations. The league's policy covers a wide range of issues, including the illegal use of drugs and the abuse of alcohol, prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Russell was then suspended again in January 2002 for testing positive for the club drug Ecstasy. He was released by the Raiders in October 2003, shortly after being reinstated by the league.

He tested positive for drugs again and was suspended indefinitely in July 2004.

In September 2002, prosecutors dropped rape charges against Russell, claiming they could not prove he videotaped a woman being raped by two of his friends in January 2002.

Russell talked about his problems this summer at the NFL's rookie symposium, which is used to teach new players what pitfalls to avoid in their careers.

---

AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.

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