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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 1,500,000 shares of the common
stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Russell Corporation pursuant to the Russell
Corporation 2000 Stock Option 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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