The cover of Sports Illustrated's Pictures of the Year issue, on newsstands Wednesday,
features a triumphant Carroll College player kneeling in the mud following the school's 17-9
win over the University of Sioux Falls for the NAIA college football championship.
"I'm still kind of in shock," said the player, junior linebacker Brandon Day. "This is crazy.
Sports Illustrated. It's like a dream come true."
Russell said he snapped the photo immediately after the game, when he saw Carroll players
taking head-first dives in the mud at the center of the field. The cover photo shows Day rising
to his knees after a mud dive and was the last available frame on the digital memory card in
Russell's camera.
CONGRATULATIONS to the entire TEAM & Coach Diesl!