(photo courtesy of Buffalo Bills)Moon Township, Pa. –
Robert Morris University assistant football coach
Myles Russ is helping the Buffalo Bills' staff and running backs during the National Football League team's ongoing training camp at St. John Fisher College.
Russ, the running backs coach for the Colonials, was one of three individuals recently selected by the Bills to participate in this year's Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship program.
The Bills ranked second in the NFL in rushing yardage per game (144.2) last season with C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson leading the way. Spiller was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2013 while Jackson ranks third in career rushing yards for the Bills and formerly led the league in all-purpose yards.
The Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship is designed to expose talented minority college coaches to the methods and philosophies of summer NFL training camps. Walsh introduced the idea to the league in 1987 when he brought in a group of such coaches into his San Francisco 49ers training camp, and now every NFL team is a participant in the program. In fact, the Bills' current running back coach, Tyrone Wheatley, previously took part in the program in 2008.
Russ is entering his third season as the running backs coach at RMU. He helped primary running back
Deontae Howard and primary fullback
Ryan Thermil both rush for career highs in yardage during the 2013 season. In his first year on staff, he guided the Colonials to produce at least 170 rushing yards in four consecutive games, marking only the second such occurrence by Robert Morris since 2001.
One of the most decorated players in RMU history, Russ finished his career as the program's all-time leading rusher by compiling 4,271 yards from 2007 to 2010.
Named the 2010 Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Year after helping lead the Colonials to the league's inaugural berth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs, Russ also owns the Robert Morris career school record for all-purpose yards (4,651).
Russ finished his career ranked fourth all-time in rushing in Northeast Conference history. He appeared in 43 career games, earning 40 starts, and started 27 consecutive games at halfback from 2007 to 2009, a school record. Russ became the first player in school history to post three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and scored 134 career points.
