Welcome to Steelers Takeaways! – More than 2,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff PLUS interviews with Pittsburgh actors, musicians, authors and more

Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Elbert Ellis, 1994

First, can you tell me about your scooting work and how you got started with PrimeTime Scouting?

I was technically a teacher for 25 years – I taught PE but I helped kids understand how to go to college when I did that. I wanted them to have the same opportunity I did – I was the first in my family to graduate from college.

I was a six-time All American hurdler at Pitt and was at the national championship in my hometown of Durham – my college roommate then was Lee McCrae. Our godmothers were sisters and he told me Mark Everett happened to be at his godmother’s house and I should go over there to meet him. Everett was on the Olympic track team.

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Exclusive with Pittsburgh Special Effects Creator, Producer and Director Greg Nicotero

First off, what projects do you have going on now that you’d like to discuss?

Currently I’m in post-production for a TV series I produced. It’s a hybrid competition show and horror movie for Shutter called Guts and Glory.

I’m also the Executive Producer for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – the next season premiered September 7th on AMC.

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Exclusive with Former Chairman of Pittsburgh Stadium Authority if Pittsburgh George Whitmer

First off, can you go over what your role was back when the new stadiums were being built?

I started in the Mayor’s office working on inter-governmental relations and became the Chairman for the Stadium Authority and was Executive Director of the Urban Development Authority in Pittsburgh.

What were you trying to accomplish early on?

In the early days we tried to develop the Three Rivers area. The city was successful in building a new stadium but as part of the deal, the Pirates were given control of the development of the area and that was a struggle until the newer stadiums were built.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Tony Brooks-James, 2019, 2021

First off, what are you up to now since your playing days?

I’m working in the sheriff’s office now in Alachua County as the deputy there- I’m also on the bomb squad there. Besides that I’m enjoying life and watching my son grow up.

What made you decide to go into law enforcement and how did playing ball help you as a deputy?

I got my college degree in Sociology – I always wanted to go into law enforcement. It’s a challenging career and everlasting learning. I wanted to get my Masters in Criminology in college but I wanted to pursue ball first.

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Exclusive with Retired Pittsburgh Sports Writer, Columnist and Editor Ron Musselman

First off congrats on retirement – what’s next for you?

I covered some high school games for the local paper after I retired in 2021, then last year I had enough. Now I walk five miles a day, I ski and fish and help my mom out. That’s why I came back. I keep busy.

I covered so much good stuff over the 40-plus years now- now it’s sad to see how the newspaper industry has gone down. It’s heartbreaking to see what’s going on – we’re like malls – on the same path. It’s just not looking promising for newspapers now.

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Exclusive with Leo McCafferty on “The Football Town” Documentary

First off, how did you get involved in film production – and now with Lions Tale Media?

I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to school at Penn State. I always had a passion for sports and a like and knack for writing. When I graduated, I had no idea what to do. I wrote a letter to Steve Sabol at NFL Films and he called me in for an interview. They hired me as a production assistant then – in 2006.

Halfway through that year they hired me as a full-time producer. I was with NFL Films for five years and learned all I know over that incubation period.

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Exclusive: Pittsburgh Olympic Skater Michael Seibert

First off – what are you up to now?

I went into real estate after I was done skating. I worked in Small Town USA and soon realized though that it’s not about what you know about construction – it’s about the PTA moms you raise your kids with. People chose their agents because they all raised their kids together. That was interesting but frustrating – that left me out.

Now, I’m a decorator – I’ve been doing that for the past year-and-half. I’ll be putting out a new line soon of furniture made out of pottery – stools, lamps, tables….hopefully it’ll work. I haven’t seen anything like it in the marketplace.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Quarterback Leo Gasienica, 1974

First off, can you let us know what you got into after your football career ended?

After football I spent a lot of time in Manhattan work in the financial industry. I worked for Reuters, Dow Jones, Thomson Financial then Broadridge Financial. It was a good run until I decided to hang it up and retire a short while ago.

Was the post-football transition difficult?

It worked out ok. I lived in New York for a while – uptown – then moved to New Jersey and took the boat into the city. A lot of my clients were on the boat. I worked with the bankers and brokers in the city.

After a while I just decided that it was time to start working and enjoyed it. It was a good transition.

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Exclusive with Art Rooney Jr. Part 2

Second half of interview continuing from Exclusive with Art Rooney Jr. Part I – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

I know so much is written about Bill Nunn’s impact and the delving into HBCUs when discussing those late 60’s and 70’s drafts. But outside of that, what was really working for you in terms of how you approached the scouting process and what you looked for that was different from others teams? Not every stellar player was an HBCU guy?

We were a losing team – we had early picks and didn’t fuck them up!

But we focused a lot on athleticism – size, speed, quickness, control – and vision too.

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Exclusive with Art Rooney Jr. Part I

First off, what’s a day in the life look like for you today – what are you up to now and how involved if at all are you with the team?

I still have stock in the team and am on the board. But it’s their team now. Dan and his son and grandson all work for the team now. I pay attention and listen on the board and answer questions when I can – but I won’t make shit up if I don’t have an answer.

On October 18th I’ll turn 90 years old. I never wanted my name on the scoreboard – but this year I want it! I want it to say “Happy 90th Birthday Art Rooney Jr.!” I’ve had a good run – I have good DNA like my mom and dad did!

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