Cameron Russell, Football Star in the Making

Written by Hannah Niederriter 2/8/2021

Cameron Russell, Football Star in the Making

Coming from a small town, it can be difficult to achieve any form of recognition on a national level. However, senior Cameron Russell’s standout performances as a football player on Oil City and Cranberry’s co-op team led to the bestowal of the Jim Kelly Player of the Week award.

In September of 2020, Russell was informed that he had been chosen to receive the Player of the Week award, named after Jim Kelly, a former NFL quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and inductee of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who recognizes football players for their outstanding plays on the field.

Due to the interruption of Covid, Russell was officially honored with the award during Cranberry’s senior night on February 5th of 2021.

Upon receiving the recognition for this award, Russell felt honored and assured in both his talent and hard work.

Principal Ritt Smith presents Cameron Russell with Jim Kelly’s Player of the Week award during senior night. Cameron is pictured with his mom and dad, Chaval and Christopher Russell. (Photo taken by Ava Fischer)

“I appreciated that I got noticed by someone that was unbiased. Anyone could be chosen for this award regardless of where they’re from, and they chose me.”

Looking toward the near future, Russell plans to continue improving his football skills in preparation for college. He hopes that his determination, effort, and passion for the sport will earn him a football scholarship for a Division I college and potentially even a starting position on the collegiate level.

By achieving this noteworthy award, Russell believes that his accomplishment could encourage others to pursue their own sports just as he did.

“We are a small school, and for a player from here to get this award shows that anyone anywhere could succeed despite the school’s size. Your hard work will pay off.”

Hard work does pay off, and regardless of whether or not Russell and aspiring underclassmen come from a small town in rural Pennsylvania, everyone has the opportunity to be a stand-out player.