Former HORSEMEN quarterback and current PFFL stat guy Jason Russell has performed on the football field his entire life. But now the former college football player is performing on stage, doing stand-up comedy.
Russell will be performing at the Improv in the Waterfront on Wednesday, August 11th. The show begins at 8 p.m. and he promises a great show.
“This show is going to be hilarious because you have me headlining and one of Pittsburgh’s funniest guys hosting,” Russell said. “My style of comedy is about everyday situations. I focus on the art of being single and being in relationships, and people respond to all of that.”
Russell performed on stage for the first time just over a year ago at the University of Pittsburgh when an opening act for a comedian got sick. He lied and claimed he had been doing stand-up comedy for years to get on stage.
“They gave me 15 minutes and I just started telling stories that I would tell people back in high school and college,” he said. “The people started laughing because they could relate to me. So I just kept doing it and I killed it.”
After realizing his comedic potential, Russell kept working on his routine and eventually earning a trip to New York for the show “Last Comic Standing.” As an independent and broke comedian, Russell was able to make it to the showcase round. The experience has helped make him the comedian he is today.
“That was the best experience ever,” he said. “When I left New York, I became stronger. It just created a whole other type of determination for me.”
Russell is expecting a sellout for the event, and believes that his former teammates and opponents in the PFFL will appreciate it, saying there is a deeper connection between comedy and football than people realize.
“There’s such a correlation to football and comedy that people don’t realize,” he said. “The anticipation, the hard work it takes and that feeling you get before a game, is the same feeling you get before you go on stage.”
So please come support one of the PFFL’s own in his comedic journey. The doors will open for the event at 7 p.m.
