First, what have you been up to since your time in the NFL?
I’m a financial advisor now for a local bank here in the Kansas City area. I’ve been in this role for 10 years now. That’s what I’ve been up to now.
How hard was the post-NFL transition and how did you get involved in the new career?
I was not one of those guys that had a clear plan after football. I knew I had to go back to school and figure it out. I didn’t know what I wanted to outside of football when I was in high school. The career really found me. I made a lot of contacts while I played and I interviewed a lot of those guys to see what I wanted to do. The rest is history – I fell into this for the long-term.
Everyone thinks they’ll play forever. I was no different than anyone else in that regard. I thought I could play for a couple of more years but it didn’t work out. The injury bug hit. I wonder if I could have put up bigger numbers and won a championship if I didn’t get hurt. It just wasn’t in the cards.
But I’m happy how I handled things after football. After football I got my degree and golfed a lot with my twin brother – he and I were always competitive. I was happy I took a break after the NFL before going into something new.
How did you find yourself in Pittsburgh in ’91?
I was actually drafted by the Redskins but they released me. It was the best thing that could happen to me, looking back on it. I was scared to get cut again after that – I learned that nothing was promised to you.
I scrimmaged against the Steelers in the Summer with the Redskins and had a good game – I think that’s why they signed me to their practice squad.
How was that first adjustment to life in Pittsburgh?
I learned a lot. I learned how to be a tight end. I was a wide receiver in college – I had good receiving skills but I didn’t have the blocking skills. I got to learn from guys like Adrian Cooper, Eric Green and Mike Mularkey. They took me under their wing and showed me the game. It was a great situation for me. They also had a strong linebacker corps and they showed me things in practice too. It was the best place for me.
How did those guys help you with the blocking skills?
We had Foster and Worley at running back – they ran the ball a lot and used play action. It took a lot of positioning work on blocking – they were a heavy group of blocking tight ends. They helped me with hand placement and keeping my back low. For the first five weeks, all I thought about was blocking technique.
The passing game was a bit different too. As a tight end you have a different release. You have someone right on top of you and you have to work your way through traffic – so I had to learn that too.
You were a very good track athlete as well growing up. How did those skills help you as a football player?
I think coming out of high school, I was a good high-jumper. So going up and getting the ball – I was good at that. I was a good basketball player too. Sometimes they would just throw it up and have me go get it – that came naturally to me.
What do you remember most about your on-field time in Pittsburgh?
Naturally you remember your first catch. I remember blocking for Rod Woodson on a punt return and getting a big hit on a defender when he changed direction.
Coming out of college though, the thing I remember most is having watched those superstars on tv then going into camp with them, wondering if they’d talk or respond to me. But once you get there you’re just one of the guys. They’d tell you it’s a business, but I still looked at it like a game then. I learned how to be a pro from them. I watched how seriously they took it. How they watched film and always stayed prepared.
Any fun memories of the guys off the field?
One thing I remember most – Eric Green was one of the biggest tight ends I had ever seen. And he had the biggest rear end too. I found out why! As rookies, me and Adrian Cooper would go to some place close to the stadium to get cheesesteaks for him. He’d get ones wth two-to-three eggs, bacon, extra cheese…. Now, cheesesteaks aren’t exactly the healthiest things to begin with! I thought there was no way he could eat that whole thing. But he devoured it!
What happened after that first year in Pittsburgh?
Well, Plan B free agency. The Steelers made it clear they wanted me back – they could only protect so many players though. They even paid me some incentives I didn’t achieve. But the situation in Kansas City was too good for me. Pittsburgh had Cooper and Green – I was going to get more playing time in Kansas City.
You look at the game now and wonder – especially with your style of play as a tight end – if you were born 20 years too soon?
Absolutely! The game has changed so much. Now teams want receiving tight ends who can also block. Pittsburgh and Kansas City were heavy run-oriented teams. The game now – I get to watch one of the top tight ends every week here in Kansas City in Travis Kelce. That was my game.
It’s fun to watch how creative teams have gotten with how they use tight ends. In Kansas City I got to watch two great ones in Gonzalez and Kelce.
Was it fun playing at the same time as your twin Kerry in the NFL?
It was very cool. Just watching him – he played before I did but I got playoff experience he never got.
I’m sure you never rubbed that in…
Ha – every chance I get! We even got to play against each other when he was with the Raiders a couple of times. I told him that in the fourth quarter it gets really loud in Pittsburgh. I told him if the game was close I bet he would flinch and jump offsides. And he did! He had to pay up on that bet!
But it was great to be able to play at the same time as him and see his career take off in the NFL too.
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