Baylor quarterback Seth Russell will suit up for his first football game in 11 months Friday against Northwestern (La.) State, ending a tumultuous stretch for him and the program since he took his last snap.
When Russell left the field Oct. 24 with a season-ending neck injury during a 45-27 victory over Iowa State, he left behind an undefeated Baylor team ranked No. 2 in The Associated Press' college football poll. The fifth-year senior returns to the lineup for Friday's opener at McLane Stadium (6:30 p.m., FSN) as an inspirational bonding agent for teammates who view his recovery from a career-threatening neck surgery as one of the program's few bright spots of recent vintage.
Russell was on a mission trip in Brazil when he received the May text message saying former coach Art Briles had been relieved of his duties for Briles' role in mishandling issues related to the school's sexual assault scandal regarding football players. The news, Russell said, felt like "a punch to the gut." But he knew what the next step had to be.
Russell, as the team's starting quarterback, has been the go-to guy to lift team morale during difficult moments as the Bears have tried to adjust to a new coach (Jim Grobe) and the departure of 16 players who were on their spring roster but did not return for the fall semester.
"You can't dwell on the past," Russell said. "But you use your past experiences to become stronger, and we will. My job is to be the quarterback of the football team and to lead the guys who have done the right things and have set a positive image for Baylor."
Grobe said Russell has handled that task well, showing "great character and integrity" while influencing teammates drawn to his personality as well as his talent. Part of that has included sharing details with teammates of his journey back to full health from a fractured C-6 bone in his neck that threatened more than his football career.
"I was 2 millimeters away from not even walking off the field or even breathing," Russell said of the placement of the fracture, which was surgically repaired by a specialist in Morgantown, W.V. "In the neck, 2 millimeters is a pretty big gap. The surgery went perfect. Everything is back to 100 percent.
"I have to take that and use that as motivation and also to motivate the guys around me. When they ask, 'What really happened?' I ... tell them. It's cool to see how they react to that situation and how they use it as motivation to be better and to take that role of never taking anything for granted. It can be stripped away as quickly as it is given to you."
For the Bears, who begin the season ranked No. 23 in the AP poll, the goal is to maximize on-field success despite the swirling turmoil and a roster that includes only 70 scholarship players, 15 below the NCAA maximum. Players still harbor hopes for a Big 12 title and center Kyle Fuller said much of that optimism can be attributed to Russell, who threw for 2,104 yards and 29 touchdowns in seven games last season before his injury.
"After everything he's been through, Seth is a guy we can look at and know he's got a good idea of how to handle what we're going through as a team. He tells us to wake up every morning and count our blessings," Fuller said. "He's just a great guy, an all-around leader. Watching him come back from all of that has been inspiring."
Linebacker Taylor Young said: "Seth is by far the leader of this team. It's nothing but respect. Just seeing him out there, it's great to see."
But will Russell's return and leadership be enough to help a team in transition continue winning at its recent clip? The Bears have 50 wins over the past five seasons, including Big 12 titles in 2013 (outright) and 2014 (shared with TCU). Gil Brandt, former Dallas Cowboys' vice-president of player personnel and senior analyst for NFL.com, envisions trouble ahead.
"The only thing that school has going for them now is a senior quarterback," Brandt said. "The distractions are going to be so huge for them. They might not beat Northwestern Louisiana because of so many distractions. It won't be because of the coaching. It will be because of the distractions."
Russell downplays such concerns, pointing to Big 12 and national titles as achievable goals for a team that returns lots of proven playmakers but is shy on depth and experience on the offensive and defensive lines. Grobe acknowledged he has inherited a "daunting task" but pointed to Russell's positive attitude as an asset in getting maximum production from this team.
Truth be known, Russell said he likes hearing from the naysayers because that stokes his emotional embers.
"You're going to take jabs at us. You're going to try to knock us down. But we're going to get right back up," Russell said. "That's what I feel everyone has emotionally. We're fighters. We're not going to back down to anybody. We're going to do things the right way and we're going to try to win ball games."
The first opportunity comes Friday, ending an emotional 11-month wait for the Bears' starting quarterback.
