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 Cornerback Lou Rash, 1983-1984

First off, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your playing days?

After playing I stayed and lived in Pittsburgh for 37 years before moving back to Mississippi! I was a science teacher and coached high school football at Gateway High School. Life’s been good! I also started preaching the gospel in 1997 – really as a social minister.

Was the post-NFL transition difficult?

At first it was hard. What made it hard was that I felt like the best man didn’t get the job. At the time that felt difficult. I was from a smaller university and I think they wanted to keep the bigger university guys. The ledger leaned towards them. I know Tony Dungy later told me he regretted the decision – it was just a numbers game he said. It wasn’t because I couldn’t play.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Lineman Shayon Green, 2015

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

Now I own and operate a fitness center. After Miami and Pittsburgh I went to the CFL. I knew when I was playing that I wanted to stay in good condition after football and stay involved in fitness. I figured I might as well make some money at it! I moved to Atlanta and got hired to work at a gym. I wanted to learn the business and got experience that way – to know the blueprint.

I got offered a management position after that. I also started my own fitness brand – Green University. I have over 25,000 subscribers to that as well and am the CEO of my non-profit, Cause of Effectiveness.

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Exclusive with Kent Lee Platte of RAS on the Steelers Drafting Trends

Thanks Kent for doing this! I wanted to see how this Steelers drafted relative to RAS and how it’s changed over the years. Starting at receiver – Bernard seems different from the guys they traditionally have been drafting – accurate?

Wide receiver is tricky – it’s very style-based. They’ve gone after guys like Martavis Bryant and George Pickens in the past who had very specialized roles in the offense. I don’t get that with Bernard – he scored well on speed, agility and decent explosiveness. You can do a lot more with that. When you draft a guy like Cooper Kupp or Amon St. Brown you get very specialized players. Bernard looks like a guy that offers much more versatility.

You see that in the draft overall – guys they’ve taken recently like Dunker, Iheanachor, Everett – there are no limitations to what these players can do – they don’t come with super-specialized scores. They are all guys who are very versatile athletically.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Kent Lee Platte of RAS on the Steelers Drafting Trends”

Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Nathaniel Adibi, 2004

First off, I know you’re working now for the ATF – how did that come about?

I’ve been there for 11 years now, yeah. I just fell into it. I never saw myself in law enforcement when In was younger. I thought it was a crazy career to get into. When I lived in Hampton my neighbor was a police officer and he tried to recruit me to become one and I said “No way.” I was going to college to play football.

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Exclusive with Pittsburgh Music Beat Writer Scott Mervis

First off, what’s the plan after the Post-Gazette layoff – I’m sorry to see that happen.

The new ownership said they’d keep going with the strengths of the paper and I guess they felt I wasn’t one of them. I had a nice, long career here – it was longer than I expected. I’m just concerned about the younger people there – their need to figure out what’s next. I think many will probably have to relocate.

It leaves a big gap in the city’s music coverage for sure…

I didn’t have the sponsorships for the music section that the other sections had – I didn’t have LiveNation sponsoring my section – which is probably a good thing now!

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver DeAndre Thompkins, 2020

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

I’m getting into the investment space now. While I was in the NFL I did some internships and networked with private equity and venture investment funds. It’s relationship driven and opportunistic and I like that – it changes the world in a very unique way. The skills required to be a football player translate well in this space. And once I’m in a good place financially I can grow my firm and use it as a way to help my former teammates and family set up their own futures.

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Exclusive with Pittsburgh Actor Jon Daly

First off, what are you up to now – what have you been working on?

I’m doing Fallout season three now. And I’m working on making movies, doing standup and working on a lot of things. The Fallout talk show did well too. Just living life in LA!

How did acting start for you?

I did some plays in middle school – Carson – North Allegheny. I was always trying to be funny in school. I was obsessed with hockey too – I played from Pee Wee and Bantam through high school. But then I got into plays in high school and got good roles. That encouraged me.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Cornerback Woodrow Wilson, 1980, 1982

First off, I know you coached after you were done playing – how did you get started with that?

After the Steelers I went and played for the USFL but I tore my ACL. I had a lot of teams invite me to camp after that – Washington, Tampa – but I couldn’t pass their physicals – my knee wasn’t stable enough.

My high school coach from Hampton, Mike Smith, asked me in 1988 if I could help him coach. I did then stayed on another year then got another job. But that’s when my coaching career began.

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Exclusive with Charley Kiss, General Manager of The Field at Hazelwood Green

First off, how did you get started with this new role?

I spent the last 24 years in public education – 22 years as an Athletic Director in McKeesport. I was born there and played three sports there. I was tasked to find teams who want to use this new space. Central Catholic will play here. I’ve managed countless high school games and sat on the WPIAL Steering Committee – so I know a lot of people in the area. It’s really doing the same stuff I’ve been doing just with another role, working for Sports Facilities Companies as the company that manages and operates the facility. Community outreach, youth football….I’ll be managing those things.

There are a variety of places that I anticipate will utilize the facility once it starts up in August.

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Exclusive with Steelers Defensive Lineman Gabe Rubio

First, your dad said the team was showing clear interest in you early- what were they saying to you and your agent?

I didn’t have much of a connection with them before the draft really. I had a conversation with one of the scouts at the Hula Bowl but they mostly communicated with my agent. They told him they were high on me – that they liked what they saw.

What have you learned from your dad’s experience in the NFL and how surreal is it to go to the next team?

It is surreal – he was drafted around the same position I was but was traded to San Francisco. He taught me a lot about technique – and how to play violently with maximum effort.

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