First off, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your playing days – especially your broadcasting and coaching work?
Well, after I retired from the NFL, I jumped into broadcasting. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do then, but I’m fortunate now to be in my 34th season of calling Denver Broncos games. That’s where I live now. It’s been a cool experience as a former player to be able to call games.
I’m also in my 31st season as a high school head football coach. That’s been a passion of mine – to be able to continue my love of the game and work with kids.
As a former player, is it hard as a broadcaster not to interject too much of your personal thoughts and experiences into your work?
As a former player, I have a real appreciation for just how hard the game is. It’s a very difficult game – especially at the NFL level. They are all elite athletes and coaches. I do play-by-play now, so it’s easier for me as I’m just describing the action as I see it. I did do color commentary for six years for radio. Obviously with that you’re trying to describe what you see for listeners who can’t see the game. You want them to be able to picture it all in their minds. So I try and give an accurate description of formations, what happens when the ball is snapped, that sort of thing. I have a high reverence for the game having played it and want to be as accurate as I can be.
Nowadays, people want instant success from their teams. With fantasy football and gambling and those types of things. So that makes it even more important to me that I am fair and balanced when describing how the team is playing.
You’ve been incredibly successful as a high school coach – who are some of the coaches you model you approach after?
My mom and dad told me that if I ever got the opportunity to give back to my community and work with kids, I should do it. So I jumped on the opportunity.
My first year coaching was 1993. As a coach, you steal from everybody. Sam Rutigliano was my first NFL coach. He was a player’s coach and loved to throw the ball in an era when teams didn’t throw much. He also preached accountability.
When I was traded to Denver in my final NFL season, Mike Shanahan was my coach. I learned a lot from him. How to stay on top of change and adapt. To have your foundation but to stay current. The game has changed a lot – even in high school.
I spoke with Dick LeBeau who said the only change to the sport that went from the NFL down, versus high school football up to the NFL, was the 3-4 defense. Thoughts on that?
I think that’s true. We ran a 6-1 defense when I started coaching high school. I wanted my defensive coordinator to run a 3-4. He told me he didn’t know anything about the 3-4, but I told him we’d figure it out together. So I think Dick is accurate. The NFL is slow to change and adapting. RPOs and other changes at the high school and college level made it tough on NFL defenses because they weren’t used to them.
Were you surprised to be drafted by Cleveland in ’76?
I played football and basketball at Colorado and broke my ankle right before the draft playing basketball. About three months prior to the draft. I think that cost me some draft position.
I didn’t hear from Cleveland before the draft – I knew nothing about the Browns honestly. I went to one NFL game in my life then, and that was ironically the Broncos versus Cleveland in Denver. So when I got a call from Art Modell, I was shocked. I had never been East of Kansas before. I had to figure out where in the hell was Cleveland!
Who helped mentor you as a rookie?
Paul Warfield just returned to the team from Miami. Stylistically we were two very different receivers. I played in the last College All-Star Game so I came in late to camp. For some reason we were in Stillwater working out, and I was in the wide receiver line watching Warfield. Looking at him, I thought there was no way I’d ever play receiver in the NFL. I could never do what he did – he ran so well, so gracefully – like a gazelle.
Raymond Berry was my wide receivers coach. He told me Paul was a different player – we had different statures. I was 6’5″ – I was a more physical type of player. Paul and Raymond both taught me to use my physicality and size. Paul caused problems with the way he ran routes. I could cause problems in a different way. I had strong hands. Raymond told me that if a defensive back pressed me, I should try and break his hands. They showed me how to use my physicality.
Were you very aware of the Steelers rivalry at the time?
I was not aware, but it didn’t take long! The Steelers were champions during that time – they won the Super Bowl four times in six years. We played them twice a year and got to know them well. In fact my first touchdown reception came against the Steelers in Cleveland.
When I became the starter, I talked to my teammates about the rivalry. I read the paper and heard about the rivalry around town, from fans. One game in Cleveland, Steelers fans came in buses and the tires of the buses were slashed. I picked up quickly that this was not a normal rivalry. Much of that was due to the greatness of the Steelers then.
What do you remember most about those games?
I lined up on Mel’s {Blount} side – he was such a great player. He was uncannily big, with long arms, and physical. It was a great matchup. I was in Canton not too long ago for a Hall of Fame ceremony and talked to Mel. He’s so gracious and humble. He gave me kudos on my play and that matchup. It was always so physical. I don’t know why but over my career most of my best games games were against the Steelers. I can’t describe the physicality of those games, You just knew they would always be knock-down, drag-out physical fights. Even as a wide receiver.
Why did you find success against the Steelers?
I’m not sure why. To be clear Mel won more of his fair share of battles. I remember being frustrated one game because I wasn’t getting the ball, then in the third quarter I got a lot of catches. There’s a play I made in the end zone – a one-handed touchdown catch against Mel – that was caught right in front of a cameraman who got a great picture of it.
They were great competitions – two teams that wanted to win. Every time I played them I knew I had to be at my best. Jack {Lambert} was pretty animated all of the time. I was never a talker unless someone talked to me first. I’d chirp back then. But there was a lot of talk between the teams. If we were all mic’d up then and they aired those conversations, it’d have been the most watched show in the history of television!
What do you think of the rivalry today?
I think what drives the rivalry is the proximity of the cities and fans. If you’re a long-time fan that grew up not liking the other team, it’s a fun game to watch. Rivalries like that are great for football. We’re losing those rivalries in college due to conference realignment. But the Browns-Steelers, Packers-Bears, Broncos-Raiders – those rivalries date back years – to your dad and your grandfather. It’s a family tradition watching those games and rooting against the teams you hate. That’s a great thing for football.