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 Brad Pyatt, 2006

First off, what have you been up to since your playing days?

I played in the NFL and bounced around a little – the Steelers were the last team I signed with. I thought I’d have a good career there – I fit the culture of the team. I was a physical receiver – I was tough and liked to block.

But I was pretty beat up at that point. I actually left the night before I was supposed to start with them. They flew me in mid-season, but the night before I was to start I just knew I didn’t have it. I was about to go to the meeting the next day and instead just left. I didn’t even tell my agent.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Back Lavar Glover, 2002

First off, what happened after you were released in 2002?

After I got released Pittsburgh offered me a spot on the practice squad. I didn’t choose it – build I wish I would have. Erik Totten, me and James Harrison were all released on the same day. Harrison and I went to the movies after and ran into each other there. We were so damn depressed – we ended up watching different movies. He and Erik decided to stay on sign with the practice squad – but I had an offer to sign with Cincinnati. I was from Dayton and was raising my younger brother at the time so I signed with them.

Harrison went on to become a Super Bowl champion. Who knows – if I stayed maybe I would have worked my way up the team too.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Back Lavar Glover, 2002”

Exclusive with NFL Trainer/Former Slippery Rock Receiver Jermaine Wynn

First off, why did you decide to get into coaching?

I came to the fact that my playing days were over – you have to have a severance mentally and accept that next phase. I felt a void after the game and coaching was my way to stay close and fill the void.

So in 2023 I started holding group training sessions and invited people free of charge. The first time there were two guys and we trained at CMU and got kicked off the field! I spoke to the folks at CMU afterward and they said it was fine as long as no one was using the field.

Continue reading “Exclusive with NFL Trainer/Former Slippery Rock Receiver Jermaine Wynn”

Excusive with Steelers Cornerback Doneiko Slaughter

First off- what made you decide to sign with the Steelers this offseason?

Honestly, I asked my agent that as well. I had a lot of workouts last year and Pittsburgh was just the most recent one. I was the most fluid of the guys they worked out and they signed me then – it just worked out for me that way.

Did any of those veteran defensive backs help you out most in Pittsburgh?

All of them did – the main guys like Ramsey and Joey Porter were just made active recently – so the guys that helped most on the field were Echols, Samuel and Deal. In the meeting room it was J-Ram (Ramsey) – most definitely.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Safety Sean Davis, 2016-2019, 2020

First off, what’s post-NFL life been like for you?

I’m a full-time dad now. It’s been crazy – when I left the league I had my first son – in 2023. Then we had twins a year later! I need extra arms – it’s been buy.

Were the twins a surprise?

They were! My wife’s family had twins two or three generations ago so it got us! For a few months we had three kids under two – now they are all catching up to each other physically and are daredevils. It’s been a fun time – I’ve enjoyed getting close to my wife and being with my family.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Safety Sean Davis, 2016-2019, 2020”

Exclusive with Sports and Entertainment Lawyer, Professor and Author, N. Jeremi Duru

First off, what sparked your interest in sports law?

At the core I’m a civil rights lawyer. I started off at a small firm in Washington, D.C, as an associate. That’s when a number of coaches came to us – they were concerned about not getting equal opportunities in the NFL to coach. We convened with them- they felt they needed help advocating for themselves. Our firm helped them in that matter and I ended up being a part of that. That’s where the intersection of race and sports began.

The firm produced a report after Dennis Green and Tony Dungy were fired and that left just one head coach of color in the NFL. The report covered the way race impacted head coaching searches. The University of Pennsylvania did the study and it revealed that coaches of color had success – just not a lot of opportunities.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Scottie Graham, 1992

First off, how/why did you get your start in coaching?

I just wanted the opportunity to impact young people’s lives. The things that happened for me as a player – the coaches that impacted my life like Dick Hoak, Tony Dungy, Dennis Green….they added to my experiences and I wanted to do the same for others.

They taught me that you need to find out who you are as a person. Herm Edwards and Tye Willingham – they showed me that you have to be able to communicate well – to give others the space to communicate and share with you.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Scottie Graham, 1992”

Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receivers Coach David Culley, 1996-1998

First off, what are you up to since you stopped coaching?

Well, I do a little consulting for my alma mater Vanderbilt – I go there three times a year to help there. When James Franklin was at Penn State I’d go there for a week and look around and see how I could help them too. Other than that, I’m done coaching.

When I was fired from Houston – I wish I had been there longer – but I said that would be the last time I’d work for anybody. I liked this gig, but when I went to Houston, I told John Harbaugh and Ozzie Newsome that I appreciated them everything they did for me. I told John too that if they ever needed me, he’d be the only one I’d ever go back and coach for. I coached for 44 years – John and Andy Reid were as good as you get.

Baltimore was an unbelievable organization – top to bottom. I felt the same with Pittsburgh.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receivers Coach David Culley, 1996-1998”

Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Marc Zeno, 1988

First of all, what have you been up to since playing for the Steelers?

I have seven kids and grandchildren – so that fills my time these days! I had knee replacement in 2021 – so I’ve struggled with that as a lot of us who played sports do.

In college I struggled with my knees – I left college on a high note and didn’t want to say anything was wrong with my knee. I performed poorly in the combine because of that. I should have taken care of it, but that mentality then of saying “I’m alright. I’m ok – I can play.” took over. I should have done that differently – it hurt my stock in the draft. I should have told someone.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Marc Zeno, 1988”

Exclusive with Tom McMillan, Author/Former Vice President/Communications for the Pittsburgh Penguins

You started off as a media person – how did you make that transition to the “others side” into PR and then authorship?

It was just an opportunity that came up. The Penguins reached out to me a few years earlier and it didn’t feel like it was the right time. They reached out again a few years later and I figured they wouldn’t reach out a third time. I was 40 years-old and I figured “Why not?” I Might like it or I might not – but I figured if not I could always go back to the media.

Teams now tell their own stories – now that the internet has exploded. At the time they wanted someone someone from the media to run their media. I didn’t have a PR or marketing background -I didn’t have that experience – but we all do the job in our own way anyway. I relied on my background and hopefully I did some good – I’m sure I screwed up sometimes too. The landscape changed so much over those years – in 1996 I couldn’t imagine all of the social media outlets that arose. It was an exciting time. They said I was smart for taking the job when I did but I didn’t see that all coming, honestly.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Tom McMillan, Author/Former Vice President/Communications for the Pittsburgh Penguins”