Meeting Cazzie Russell
My wife and I are heading south at the end of the month and are staying in Savannah, GA for a day and a half. I was hoping to meet Cazzie Russell there and have been trying to set this up but the church he was last at (Live Oak in Savannah) appears to have closed. Cazzie is my first sports hero and has remained highly respected. This is a "bucket list" sort of goal on my part and would appreciate any information the board can give me. Is he still living in Savannah?
Thanks very much!
I cant help you with your request but I can tell you I recently had the opportunity to speak to Campy Russell at a banquet here in Ohio. The CEO for the Cleveland Cavs was being honored as "Father of the Year" along with my partner and the entire Cavs broadcasting crew attended. I spoke to Campy for a while about our mutual hometown (Pontiac) and that while I went to Cranbrook I grew up only a few blocks from Pontiac Central and that's where my brother, sister and dad all went to high school.
Good luck on your quest to meet Cazzie. Tell him hello from a fellow Pontiac-ite.
I don't remember hearing that he and Campy were related.
in a storm.
Attend service at his church, put a check in the plate, shake his hand and say hello walking out the door.
cazzie was my head varsity basketball coach in the columbus public school league. same league that trey burke played in. he was super tough on me, but i learned a ton from him. circa 1995-1996
They are not related. Cazzie came from the south side of Chicago.
The OP can still say hello from a fellow Pontiac-ite for me. It's just seems that now Cazzie will have no idea what he's talking about when he does.
On a serious note I learned something new today. And at 54 you don't get say that as often anymore.
Generally, at our advanced ages, we more often relearn something we already knew but forgot.
Don't know if it helps, and this seems kinda creepy, but he works at Savannah College of Art and Design.
according to the most recent article i could find (2011), he quit working at SCAD after they shut down the basketball program. He was an associate pastor at Live Oak Community Church in that Nov 2011 article, but couldn't find any info that the church was shut down.
Nah, he remained at the school in an administrative role when they dropped basketball and is still there. I collect autographs ttm, and sent to him via that school a few months ago...got my pictures back signed so he's around!
as a teenager I became a Wolverine bb fan first due to this man alone. Only about 5 years later, when Bo lead the victory over the Bucks did I become a M fb fan. I had no idea as to the impact M made on cfb or of the many great traditions associated thereto and that game was the impetus I needed to begin learning. I'm sure just as Cazzie caused a brief stir of interest in Michigan bb, that fb victory was the deciding factor for many teens of the late 60s in helping them determine which way they were going to go in a choice that at that time they didn't even realize they were going to have to make at some point.
I met Cazzie on campus in 1964 my freshman year. Gosh, that must make him pretty old by now.
I've lived in Savannah a year now and have yet to spot Cazzie. He used to be the SCAD basketball coach. I doubt those art students had any clue how lucky they were :/
Hope you enjoy your visit to Savannah. Unfortunately you have probably picked the most miserable time of year to visit. So far, this summer has not been as bad as last, hopefully that keeps up.