A star for the Bears during the mid 1980s, as Brown University experienced its greatest years in the history of its water polo, All-East selection Rich Russey’s talents made him one of the rare individuals who could create offense at any time, regardless of the situation. He possessed exceptional speed, which, along with his powerful shot, made him a natural goal scorer. His great vision and passing touch created a true playmaker that improved everyone around him.

During his four-year career on College Hill, Russey started every game as the Bears compiled a combined record of 109-31-1, including an incredible 29-1 against Ivy-League opponents. Russey, one of only four Brown players ever to be a captain for two seasons, led the way as the squad captured four straight Ivy League and New England titles. The Bears won three Eastern Championships, now known as the CWPA Championship, and were runners-up the fourth year as the team qualified for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship four times, finishing sixth three times and seventh once.

Russey’s freshman year of 1983 saw the rookie shine all over the pool. As the team finished the season 28-5 and placed sixth at the NCAA Championship, he was beginning to put his mark on the team. He finished the season scoring 44 goals, which was third-highest for the Bears, and he led the team with 62 steals, while adding 20 assists, a .419 shooting percentage and seven field blocks to prove he was much more than an offensive threat. The team captured the Eastern Championship with a 12-8 victory over Slippery Rock University, and went on to the NCAA Championship. There, Brown defeated Loyola University (Ill.), 13-11, but fell short of a title by dropping two games to the University of Southern California (USC). Russey was selected First Team All-East as a freshman, an honor he would get used to in his Brown career.

As a sophomore in 1984, it was more of the same for Russey. He improved on his already impressive numbers, finishing the season with 55 goals, five assists, 70 steals, a .932 shooting percentage, 14 steals and a field block. His goal total was second for the Bears. Brown continued to thrive with Russey leading the way. A 15-12 victory over the United States Naval Academy gave the Bears a second straight Eastern title, and they again beat Loyola in the NCAA Tournament. However, it was the Trojans of USC and the Bruins of the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) who would crush Brown’s title hopes, as the season ended with a 32-7-1 record and a sixth place finish at the NCAA’s. Again, Russey was a First Team All-East selection, and was selected as team captain for the upcoming season.

The Bears continued their dominance in the East during the 1985 campaign as they finished the year at 25-10, and again captured the Ivy League, New England and Eastern Championships. Russey’s goal total continued to grow, as he finished with 64 goals, second on the team, led Brown in steals for the third consecutive year, finishing with 67, and notched 21 assists with six field blocks. A 22-2 trashing of Harvard University captured the New England Championship, while Bucknell University fell victim to the Bears 11-7 in the Eastern Championship final. For the third straight year, in a win over Loyola and two losses to California-based schools gave the Bears a sixth place finish at the NCAA Tournament. Russey was again awarded First Team All-East honors, and he finally got the national recognition he deserved, as he was named an All-America selection.

As captain for the second straight season in 1986, Russey ended his career in style. He finished with 59 goals and an impressive 80 steals. He was second on the team in goals and led the squad in steals for the fourth time. The team finished at 24-9, winning the Ivy and New England titles but falling short to Navy at the Easterns. Brown finished seventh at the NCAA Championship after ending the season with a 19-13 win over the United States Air Force Academy. He earned his fourth straight All-East selection, and was named an All-America pick for the second consecutive year. In addition, he was the winner of the Marjorie B. Smith Trophy as the team Most Valuable Player and was an NCAA All-Tournament Honorable Mention selection.

A 2000 inductee to the Brown University Athletics Hall of Fame, when Russey graduated from Brown in 1987 with a degree in OBM and Business Economics, he left as the all-time leader in steals with 279, a position he still holds. He also ranks fifth on the all-time scoring list with 222 goals. Also an All-Ivy and All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) swimmer at Brown, he has continued his water polo career after matriculating. He led the New York Athletic Club to five Indoor National Championships, has been an Olympic Festival team member seven times, and is a past member of the United States Water Polo Board of Governors.

Originally a native of Orange County, California, Russey was living in New York City at the time of his induction and serving as the Publisher for Inc. at Mansueto Ventures.  A member of the Board of Advisors for TalkAboutHealth, he previously worked at Acuity Ads as Vice President of Sales, WebMD as Executive Director, Quintessentially.com as Vice President/Consultant, Ladies Home Journal as Associate Publisher, Sports Illustrated as Integrated Sales Director, Business 2.0 as Associate Publisher and Time Inc. as Eastern Advertising Director for the Fortune Group.