Welcome to Steelers Takeaways! – More than 1,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff, media and more with those that played in the 50’s through today’s current roster.

Exclusive with Former Ravens Quarterback Tony Banks

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

I was a high school football head coach for the past few years – I’m taking a year off this year but I coached my son for a few years and fell in love with coaching.

Were there coaches who helped shape the way you approached coaching?

For sure, Nick Saban, Dick Vermeil and Dom Capers too – they all influenced me. For a long time I didn’t want to be a coach – I was close to my father growing up and my son and I are close. As a coach you don’t usually see your family a lot – I watched the coaches I played for and saw they had no lives. I just got bad vibes from it.

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Exclusive with Steelers Radio Play-by-Play Announcer Rob King

First off, what have you learned about the job since taking over the role this year?

I’ll say this – I did basketball play-by-play on TV before I did football on the radio. It’s almost the opposite experience with football. You have to be much more organized – TV is much easier. You can’t see it live on radio – you have to describe all of it and that takes more time. So you have to be much more organized to do that. It’s those little things – those nuances that I’ve been concentrating on.

But it’s been a blast. I mean. I’m really having a blast doing it!

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Exclusive with Comedian and Game Show Host Frank Nicotero

First off, can you let us know what projects you’re currently working on?

Well when I was in L.A. last October, I wasn’t sure what I’d be doing. I lived in L.A. for the last 28 years. Finding work in L.A. has been really brutal since Covid.

But in October I got a call from Chris Andrews, who is the director of the South Point sports book and studio in Vegas. years ago – I think around 2011 – he and I shot a pilot for a show in Pittsburgh that had people guess the odds of pop culture stuff – like how long a celebrity marriage would last – stuff like that. But we never met again after that.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Back Ron Hall, 1959

First off, can you let me know what you started doing with yourself after your playing days?

I was picked up in the expansion draft after the Patriots released me. That was when Cincinnati was coming in to the league, and I was invited to go to camp with them. It was an opportunity to meet Paul Brown then. I spoke to him, but after a while I decided it was time for me to retire – so I retired in 1968.

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Exclusive with Comedian, Comedy Writer Jesse Joyce

First, what are you up to now? Any projects we should be looking out for?

Well, I’m still a full-time writer for Jimmy Kimmel live and also help him with the jokes for Who Wants to be a Millionaire. I was just nominated for an Emmy too so that’s exciting.

I also have an e-book I’ve written called Killing the Guys Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back LaDarius Perkins, 2014

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

I’m in the transportation business – I own a transportation service – a 26-foot box truck and haul freight, move people – anything that fits that I can haul. I got into it last year and it’s doing really well. I enjoy it and like working for myself.

Was the post-football adjustment difficult for you?

It wasn’t too bad for me. It got close at one point but I got some things together and got into coaching and training. That was the path a lot of athletes take when they are done – it’s familiar. I trained high school, junior high and college athletes. That was easy – I loved to work out so I enjoyed that.

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Exclusive With Pittsburgh Rapper Beedie

First off, can you let me know what new projects you are working on now?

I’m dropping a new album – I’m calling it Kingpen. It’s based off the Marvel comic villain – it’s a tongue-in-cheek play on it. I’ve spent hundreds of hours on this project – a comic book comes with it. It’s loosely a concept album from the perspective of the villain idea. It’s a mix of me and the Marvel villain.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Safety Derrick Richardson, 2009

First off, what have you been up to since your time in Pittsburgh?

After I was finished in Pittsburgh I played for two years in the UFL in Florida. After that I started coaching and working and being a father – things like that.

How did you get started in coaching?

My parents started a track team when I was a young kid. When my kid was playing flag football I and some buddies coached his team. My parents always wanted me to coach their track team but I just wasn’t ready yet. It was a big commitment. But after a while I dipped my toes in the water and tried it and realized how fulfilling it was. I loved it and decided then to continue the legacy. I’ve been doing that now for 12 years.

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Exclusive with I.B.F. Boxing Champion Paul Spadafora

First off, can you let me know what you’re up to now?

Well, I sold my house in Pittsburgh and I’m in Vegas now. I have a garage gym here and work with a variety of people – kids and adults. I work with fighters – people really interested in boxing.

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Exclusive with Darryl McDaniels (D.M.C.)

First, what are you up to now – what projects should we be made aware of?

The two most immediate ones are- first, I have a new cookie company called Darryl Makes Cookies – DMC Cookies. These are the coolest cookies in the universe! I wanted to do cookies because I don’t like doing what everyone else is doing – and I just want to make people smile.

I’ve been sober now 24 years so I can’t do champagne and alcohol. I like cookies – they make people happy and help make the world a better place by making people happy! We have chocolate chip cookies now and in November we’ll have Christmas Holly cookies. We’re finally going to put fruitcakes out of existence! These are the real deal and relevant to everyone. After that we’ll have oatmeal, vegan and gluten-free ones too.

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