In an alternate reality, May 27th is Darrell Russell Day. It’s his 40th birthday and a time to celebrate a long and decorated career in the NFL.
Unfortunately, reality is cruel.
He didn’t get the chance to see his journey over the hill. Nor did he have anything close to a historic career come to fruition.
The former USC defensive tackle was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft and immediately became a star with the Oakland Raiders, before legal issues had him out of the league in his mid-20s, and a tragic car crash took his life at 29, along with Trojan teammate Mike Bastianelli.