First off, why did you launch the Lend a Hand program – how did it start and how does it operate?
I actually started while I was still the GM of the Steelers. Before the pandemic hit actually, I wanted to help players who were having issues after football. I got together some of the local guys in August of 2019. 10-to-12 of us met and threw around some ideas of what to do for players – what programs and things we could do to help alums.
But then the scouting season started, and after that the pandemic hit, so we didn’t get together again over that time. When I retired I didn’t want to work in football part-time – I knew it wasn’t something you could do part-time. So I approached Art Rooney and asked if we could pick up the program and he said it would be a great idea.
How does the program work?
It’s been a year already – we started last June. We meet one time a month virtually with Steelers alumni around the country and start by having different professionals present on different topics – mental health, financial stability, physical health, family issues…all sorts of things. We meet for about 45 minutes then we all leave and give the players back the locker room and let them talk with themselves and catch up.
It’s not where we want it to be yet – we average about 20 alums per meeting and in total had about 60 players attend across all of the meetings.
Do you work with other NFL/NFLPA programs?
The players have so many resources available to them. We built a secure website that puts together all of the programs they are eligible for based on years of service, by issue. So if you are vested and want to find NFL or union services based on health and wellness it would show you everything available to you. It’s intimidating and difficult for players to find all of those services – there is so much available to them, it’s hard to find it all. The site makes it easier for them.
We’re not contractually obligated to the players, but we also help answer other questions foe them when we can. If they can’t find a service or just need someone to talk to, we can help them. Sometimes we can help verify some things they are looking into – to see if a doctor or medical practice is reputable, things like that. Just to be a support person for them.
We also have guys come visit during the season – Coach Tomlin loves that. Just to have guys come in and be able to reconnect with the team. The Steelers have honorariums for players and seasons every year, but we want to make that even bigger.
How do you work with players who don’t want to believe in a Plan B for fear it means accepting potential failure?
I don’t think it’s uncommon for anybody – I think many people feel like this. They think they are fine then an issue shows up or it’s time for retirement and they just weren’t focused on it.
We recently did a presentation on wills and trusts and found out that over 70% of Americans don’t have wills. So, it’s not unique to Steelers or NFL players – it’s common throughout different endeavors. People don’t plan and expect the unexpected.
Players last around 3.3 years in the NFL on average. They might be 25 to 32 years old when their career is over. When we talk to them we remind them they still have over half of their life left.
Coach Tomlin does a great job too. 12 to 14 years ago he began a program where when a player makes the team, we invite a family member to come in – a parent or relatives – to talk to them about the realistic expectations a player and their family should have now as they enter the NFL. It’s a great life, but we advise them that, for example, a million dollars isn’t really a million dollars after taxes and everything else. It’s a lot of money but it’s not everything you think it is.
Darrel Young is great in working with the players too, but it’s tough to plan for life after football. The program is really just trying to extend the player development.
What are the biggest issues you find retired players are facing today?
Not being around their teammates. Players come in from all different backgrounds and perspectives and have different lives after football. But the one thing in common they all have is that they all miss each other and the opportunities they had to communicate with each other. No matter what, they listen to and believe each other before they do their coaches and team owners. If they are looking for a preschool recommendation, asking their teammates who can recommend a place from personal experience means a lot. They miss that daily interaction they were blessed to have shared during their career.
Who were your mentors as a scout and GM?
It all amazingly goes back to the Rooney family and North Catholic High School – it’s a big circle.
Art didn’t have a big staff when he put those 70’s teams together. He’d hire high school coaches as part-time scouts to fill in scouting duties – to grade film and things like that. The guys that did a good job, he’d recommend to Jack Butler who was with BLESTO at the time. My high school coach was Ron Hughes and he was the one that got me hooked up with BLESTO.
Chuck Connor – I went to Miami after that and worked for him until Ron was promoted in Detroit and he hired me there. Then it was back to Pittsburgh.
What was the biggest/hardest learning curve for you as a scout?
Physical talent evaluation – it’s not easy, but it’s easier than figuring out the hearts and smarts of a player, as we called it. Their football intellect and intangibles – those you can’t measure. You just have to learn over time what values make for a successful player and learn and apply what you learn to your organization.
Anyone can watch film and measure 40 times and arm and hand size. But the hearts and smarts is how you really measure success. Most of my failures over my career have come in that area as a GM – not getting that right.
What did you do differently with those Steelers teams? What made them different from those other teams you worked with?
That predates me to be honest. I was just part of a family structure that understood what they needed to be successful.
Art put together the greatest draft class in NFL history – that’s why he should be in the Hall of Fame like Bill Nunn. Nunn, Haley, Modrak…they put together great teams because of the foundation that was there. I was just fortunate to be a part of that.
You were there for over 20 years – what changed the most over that time as a scout/GM?
I think that things are becoming more analytical. I’m not anti-analytics and I understand their role in evaluating players, but it can’t ever supercede your understanding of the intangibles that I was talking about earlier. Now so much is numbers-driven, but I don’t know if that’s really the best thing for the game.
A lot of focus on local people in the front office – what do you think are the benefits in bringing in local people?
I think it’s about the consistency of the Rooney family – the expectation levels they present. Understanding the purpose of the organization. When you’re from Pittsburgh you have a perspective others don’t have on that. You have that advantage growing up and understanding what the organization stands for.
Those are proud Pittsburgh people that worked in the front office and who coached the team. Coach Cowher, Nunn, Haley, Modrak, Donohoe, me….we understood what it meant to be part of the Pittsburgh community – we watched it from the outside since we were kids.
Coach Tomlin – when he came in he didn’t understand Pittsburgh and what that meant. Now, he considers himself a Yinzer. Now he understands the culture of the area and considers himself a Pittsburgher.
When you discuss the purpose of the organization and what it means to represent that – can you explain what is meant by that from your perspective?
I think it means that winning is expected – it’s part of the culture. But more importantly, it means to just to do what’s right. I once asked Art how I knew if I’m doing the right thing. He told me that if he had to tell me that I probably shouldn’t be in the position I’m in.
It’s not just about winning games – you have to protect the game and promote the game itself. I don’t think the Rooneys get enough credit for that. They do a great job of promoting the game of professional football.
I spoke recently to Lynne Molyneaux about the many changes to the Steelers front office/scouting department lately. Any concerns on the team losing any of its culture and institutional knowledge? How does it retain that?
I didn’t want to hang around and look over their shoulders once I left. Omar was there for 21 years – not on the personnel side, but he grew up in the organization and understands what I was talking about before about the team purpose – what the Rooneys stand for. He’s implementing a different structure for the department and that’s fine – we talked about him doing what he felt he should do when I left. He understands the expectations for the team and how to move the team forward. I expect more winning seasons, and possibly a couple more Super Bowls as well.
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