First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing since your time in the NFL?
Since I’ve been out of football, I’ve been a pastor – for 24 years now. After I got out of football I worked with youth for a while then got the calling of my life. I pushed it away for a while, then over a period of time I accepting the calling.
Was the post-NFL transition difficult?
It was easy for me. The things I had to do – I was brought up to know how to do those things – how to budget and adjust to things in life.
One thing I had to do was learn to push myself to do what I needed to do. To adjust to the praise of the people! Especially in Pittsburgh – the reputation the Steelers had there – acknowledging who you were as a player made everybody want to give you everything. The city just supported players and the team so much.
What made you decide to sign with the Steelers as a free agent in ’84?
When I was a young kid, I really didn’t know what football was. I was living in L.A. – I was watching guys play on TV and it just looked to me like everyone was running and tackling the ball. A guy came up to me and explained to me what I was watching. This was in the 70’s when the Steelers dynasty was just starting. I was watching the Steelers and decided I liked them.
Later on a teacher asked us to write a brief summary of what we wanted to do when we grew up. I said that I wanted to play football for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
So, years later, a day after the draft, I got a call from the Cowboys asking me to sign with them. I couldn’t reach my agent and asked them if I could tell them tomorrow after I spoke to my agent. Dallas hadn’t called back yet when my agent called me. I told him I got a call from the Cowboys and he asked if I signed with them. I said no and he said good, because the Steelers called him and wanted me to sign with them.
The Steelers offense was a good fit for me too. They used a fullback-running back offense and I was used to that in college.
Did anyone help take you under their wing when you got there?
Oddly there was a family around where I lived that did – the Hefflins. She told me that there were some places that taxis wouldn’t go in Pittsburgh. That I needed to take a different service – there was a guy who would drive us when we needed to get somewhere. They took me under their wing – they took me in.
Any players?
Walter Abercrombie did his best to get us involved with the team. Shell and Stallworth too. The older guys would help the young guys at times and be father figures to us. They’d correct you on the rules of the team – to show you what the proper etiquette was as a Steeler player.
Despite a decent backfield, they kept you on the team even as an undrafted free agent. What made you stick, do you think?
From what I can tell you from my spiritual side, they had a lot of running backs and drafted a guy too – looking back on it it felt like God opened a door for me – answered my prayer – my dream of playing for the Steelers. I thought the guys in front of me were better than me.
I played a lot of special teams too – I excelled on special teams. I played wherever they wanted to put me. Kickoff and punt returns- I’d do my best wherever they put me.
You had success on the chances you got though – almost five yards per carry…
The offensive line they had – they were really good. You just had to be patient – they’d move people around. They always had a good line to power their running game. When we played the Cowboys, I had some good plays, We ran a sweep then that I had success on
On the kicking game – I remember on kickoffs being able to line up five yards behind the kicker and getting a running start on kickoffs. I was able to get beyond the teams’ retreating blockers before they turned around. Now, you can’t do that.
Anything stand out most to you from your time there?
Working with Jon Kolb as a rookie – all the rookies had to work out after practice. It was just the rookies. One day I asked Jon why the veterans didn’t do it, and he told me that once you were there for a while it was up to you to do it on your own. He showed me so much on how to get bigger and stronger. He pushed me to be a better person as much as a player.
Who were the guys you remember going up against – who were the toughest guys?
I always ended up lining up against Mike Merriweather – he was always over the right side and I’d end up having to block him in practice. We had a mutual respect for each other – we both knew how we were going to go about it.
Jack Lambert also hit me pretty good in practice. He was a guy you didn’t want to block in practice. He didn’t always run at full speed in practice but the rule, which I didn’t know, was that even though he wasn’t practicing at full speed, you still had to go block him. I didn’t once and he hit me popped me good. I think that was his way of saying “Rookie this is who I am – I may be able to go half-speed in practice but you better not!” It was a rule I had to learn.
What happened after that season that caused the team to release you?
Here’s what happened. I always refer to my spiritual side. To be honest, I got big-headed. After my first year I told myself I made the team – that things were looking good. That I made it.
But the next season we played the Giants in preseason. We practiced the week before – over and over – on rotating over to the opposite side help in the blocking schemes on quarterback audibles. I didn’t pay enough attention.
Well, in the game the quarterback called the audible and I didn’t move until it was too late and Lawrence Taylor got the sack. After that they sent another guy in. I knew then that I would be let go. We practiced it so many times and I just missed it.
What did the team say to you?
The team didn’t really talk to you so much. I was just told that I was released and I needed to take a physical first, and that a ticket was purchased for me to go home.
Do you like the way the NFL has changed since you played?
To me, it’s more about scoring. Years ago they wanted to increase scoring and it’s moved that way now.
I saw the movie Concussion – I appreciate the safety of the game now. There aren’t a lot of collisions now that we know the need for safety,
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
