By Felix Hoover

For YourNewsColumbus.com

A special-teams player for the Pittsburgh Steelers wants to make sure a special local couple gets to see him in Tampa at Super Bowl XLIII.

Having his paternal grandparents in the stands on Sunday is part of the game plan for Gary Russell Jr., a kick returner and running back, who graduated from Walnut Ridge High School in 2004.

He was raised by his grandparents Joe and Joyce Russell of the South Side and felt it only appropriate that they be present when he suits up for the NFL championship game.

While sparing the grandparents from the current cold and snow in Columbus, Gary is merely trying to remain cool and not let game hype get to him.

“I’m chillin’ and enjoying the weather; it’s real nice outside,” Russell said on Tuesday, Media Day at Raymond James Stadium.

He’s trying to maintain the feel of any other week during the season in order to remain calm when it counts most.

“I don’t watch ESPN or Jim Rome,” Russell said. “They can make you mad and make you not be humble.”

Russell describes himself as a downhill runner, good in football terms because he operates low to the ground to plow through defenders on short-yardage situations.

Downhill wasn’t so good in terms of where his career seemed headed a couple of years ago. He left the University of Minnesota after a solid sophomore year on the field because of academics.

Lack of speed didn’t pose him as an ideal NFL player, but sure-handedness helped him get into the league in 2007 as a free agent. He has averaged 23.2 yard per kick return, proving himself valuable to the Steelers and a credit to Walnut Ridge.