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                                                                  Exhibit 24(a)


                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


                  KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned
officers and/or directors whose signatures appear below hereby constitutes and
appoints Floyd G. Hoffman and Steve R. Forehand, and each of them, his or her
true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution
and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in
any and all capacities, to sign a registration statement of Russell Corporation
on Form S-8 relating to the issuance of up to 800,000 shares of the common
stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Russell Corporation pursuant to the
Russell Corporation 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, including all amendments
to such registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits
thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission and with any state securities commission, granting unto
said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about
the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could
do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact
and agents, or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do
or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

                  Dated as of the 18 day of January, 2000.

              Signature                                   Title

         /s/ John F. Ward                       Chairman of the Board,
         ---------------------------            President, and Chief Executive
         John F. Ward                           Officer

         /s/ Eric N. Hoyle                      Executive Vice President,
         ---------------------------            Chief Financial Officer, and
         Eric N. Hoyle                          Director

         /s/ Larry E. Workman                   Controller
         ---------------------------
         Larry E. Workman

         /s/ Herschel M. Bloom                  Director
         ---------------------------
         Herschel M. Bloom

         /s/ Ronald G. Bruno                    Director
         ---------------------------
         Ronald G. Bruno

         /s/ Timothy A. Lewis                   Director
         ---------------------------
         Timothy A. Lewis

         /s/ C.V. Nalley III                    Director
         ---------------------------
         C.V. Nalley III


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         /s/ Margaret M. Porter                  Director
         ---------------------------
         Margaret M. Porter

         /s/ Benjamin Russell                    Director
         ---------------------------
         Benjamin Russell

         /s/ John R. Thomas                      Director
         ---------------------------
         John R. Thomas

         /s/ John A. White                       Director
         ---------------------------
         John A. White


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