JJ Russell

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Position:
Linebacker
Height:
6-1
Weight:
225
Class:
Fifth Year
Hometown:
Grenada, Miss.
High School:
Grenada HS

Honors

• 2021 First-Team All-AAC
• 2021 First-Team All-AAC (Phil Steele)
• Tiger 3.0 Club (2021)

2021 (Fifth Year)

• One of just six Tigers to start all 12 games on the season
• Led the team with 123 total tackles, 78 solo, to go with 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, on pass breakup, eight quarterback hurries and one forced fumble
• Ranked fourth in the NCAA in solo tackles (6.5) and ninth in total tackles (10.2), leading the AAC in both categories
• Totaled five games with at least 10 tackles, which included a season-best 18 stops against UTSA
• Had 14 tackles and a forced fumble in the win over Mississippi State
• Recorded six tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack in the win over No. 23/24 SMU

2020 (Senior)

• Member of the 8-3 Tigers who won the 2020 Montgomery Bowl
• Appeared in all 11 games on the season, earning starts in all 11
• Totaled 58 tackles, 39 solo, to go with 3.5 TFL, one forced fumble, three quarterback hurries and three pass breakups
• Had a season-best nine tackles with 1.5 TFL in win over Florida Atlantic in the Montgomery Bowl
• Posted a season-high two quarterback hurries in win over Stephen F. Austin and one forced fumble in victory against Arkansas State
• Tallied one pass breakup against Arkansas State, USF and Houston

2019 (Junior)

• Started all 14 games and helped lead Memphis to a 12-2 overall record, American Athletic Conference Championship and a berth to the 84th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
• Totaled 58 tackles, including 36 solo stops
• Added 5.5 TFL (10 yards) and one sack (five yards)
• Recorded four QBH, including a career-high three against Cincinnati in the conference championship game
• Had 11 multi-tackle games
• Registered a season-best eight total tackles at Temple
• Logged two TFL on two occasions, first in the season opener against Ole Miss and again the next week against Southern
• Recovered a fumble in the regular-season finale against Cincinnati

2018 (Sophomore)

• Played in all 14 games and started 13
• Team’s seventh-leading tackler with 58 total hits (39 solo)
• His 39 solo stops also were seventh on the squad
• Had 14 multi-tackle games
• Tied for third on the team with 8.5 TFL (29 yards)
• Fifth on squad with 3.0 sacks (21 yards)
• Led team with three forced fumbles
• Added three QB hurries and one fumble recovery
• Logged a career-high nine total tackles (5 solo) vs UCF in The American Championship Game
• Added 1.5 TFL and one forced fumble vs the Knights
• His forced fumble vs UCF came on the Knights’ first drive of the game
• Forced the fumble at the UCF 35-yard line and was recovered by Josh Perry at the Knights’ 27
• Two plays after the turnover, Memphis scored a TD for an early 14-0 lead
• Credited with a career-best six solo tackles, including one TFL/sack (11 yards)
• The TFL/sack yardage was a career-high • His sack came in the second quarter with Memphis leading 10-7
• Sacked Houston QB for an 11-yard loss from the Cougars 25-yard line to the 14
• Houston was forced to punt, and Memphis took over at midfield
• Tigers offense scored a TD to increase lead to 17-7
• Had a career-high two QB hurries in a win at ECU
• Collected first collegiate fumble in a key win at SMU
• Jumped on the loose ball caused by Carlito Gonzalez inside the Memphis 10-yard line late in the second quarter
• His fumble recovery halted an SMU scoring drive and kept Memphis in the lead at 7-3
• Had a career-best two TFL in a home win over Connecticut
• Registered six total hits (4 solo) and a forced fumble at Navy
• Posted collegiate firsts for TFL (1.5), sacks (1) and forced fumbles (1) in the season opener vs Mercer
• Followed Mercer game with six total hits (4 solo) and one forced fumble at Navy
• His forced fumble came late in the third quarter and was recovered by Tyrez Lindsey near midfield
• Tigers scored off the Midshipmen miscue for a 21-9 lead
• Had five total tackles, all solo stops, vs Wake Forest in the Birmingham Bowl

2017 (Freshman)

• Saw action in 10 contests, including the AutoZone Liberty Bowl
• Recorded nine total tackles (8 solo), one QB hurry and one blocked kick
• Made his collegiate debut in the season-opening win over Louisiana Monroe
• Logged his first collegiate tackle, a solo stop, vs the Warhawks
• Suffered an injury in the win over UCLA and missed the next two games
• Returned to action in the road win at Connecticut
• Credited with first collegiate blocked kick in the home win over Tulane
• Blocked a Green Wave punt that produced a short field for the Memphis offense (Tigers scored TD after the block for a 35-0 lead)
• Also had two solo hits vs Tulane
• Registered a season-high three total tackles, all solo stops, in a home win over ECU
• Credited with first career QB hurry vs the Pirates

Prior to Memphis/Personal

• Three-year varsity performer for Grenada High School
• Primarily played at LB
• Top-25 player in the state of Mississippi by ESPN.com (No. 23) and 247Sports.com (No. 25)
• Consensus top-75 OLB in the nation by ESPN.com (No. 54), Scout.com (No. 63) and 247Sports.com (No. 71)
• Scout.com rated him the No. 2 OLB in the state of Mississippi and No. 26 OLB in the South
• Career stats included: 242 total tackles, 30 TFL, 10 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries
• Named to the Clarion-Ledger MSPreps All-State second team in 2016
• Also picked up 2016 Class 5A All-State first team accolades
• Registered 123 total tackles, 14 TFL, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries his senior season
• After season campaign, played in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game
• Posted seven tackles in the annual postseason classic
• Son of Jeanette and Jimmy Russell