James Russell Cotton (May 24, 1915 â February 7, 2009) was an American professional football quarterback who played one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the 13th round of the 1941 NFL draft. He played college football at the College of Mines and Metallurgy of the University of TexasâÂÂnow known as the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).