First off, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your playing days?
I was involved in a number of businesses after I retired from the NFL. I owned a health insurance and a national dental network management company and sold those around 22 years ago. I became an executive afterwards with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and am now the president of one of their two business units that support the enterprise. So I’m enjoying the journey.
Was the transition difficult?
Back in the day you knew you would have a second career – you couldn’t retire then on your football salary – at least I couldn’t. I worked in the offseason selling insurance and also had a Ford dealership later on. I describe myself then as a glutton for opportunities. Those culminated with me here at Blue Cross Blue Shield.
What I miss most about the game is just that absence you feel. Playing football at the NFL level requires a certain passion and energy – you can’t just flip the switch. It’s not easy, but you deal with the realities of the transition. Life is full of transitions after all. You just come to appreciate the opportunities you get and that phase of my life. I got to meet a lot of great people.
Were you surprised to get drafted by the Steelers in ’82?
Tony Dungy called me – I was a kid from Michigan that went to school at Minnesota, just like he was. I knew him then as a graduate assistant – I think that’s maybe why he was the one who called me. That is a fond memory for me of that draft day.
The Steelers didn’t show more interest in me than others teams. They didn’t tell me they’d draft me. But I remember standing in the hallway of my school apartment building next to the landline waiting for a phone call. We had a keg and pizza and the guys next to me were messing with me, calling my line from the other landlines pretending to be calling from other teams.
The Steelers won four Super Bowls before I got there – there were so many guys on the team from those Super Bowl wins. I was in awe when I got there seeing Franco, Lambert, Bradshaw, Webster….the list goes on..
Did any of those guys help you once you got there? How so?
Webster and Tunch and Wolfley all did – the offensive line in general all helped. They made me feel welcomed and wanted me to succeed. They wanted me to be able to help the team – that was the philosophy of that locker room. It didn’t work out with the Steelers in the end, but I went from there to the USFL then the Chargers and Lions.
I remember warming up when I was with the Lions. We were in the Pontiac Silverdome stretching when Chuck Noll came up to me and wished me well. That was a special moment – he was such a high-class person.
What happened that first season?
I was injured in the fourth preseason game and placed on IR. I learned a whole bunch watching the team. I came back the next camp – I felt I was playing well but had a problem with my knee and ended up getting cut.
I went to the USFL after that then back to the NFL You’d see guys with the Steelers on other teams throughout my career. It was a shorter stay in Pittsburgh than I wanted but life works out as life works out. I have nothing but gratitude and admiration for the organization.
Any fun moments stand out to you from your time there?
Ralph Berlin was the trainer – he had his own style – he was old school. He and Tony Parisi were fun to be around. Tony came up to me when I told him my last name was Austrian and told me I was wrong – that I was Italian. He told me the where and region of Italy I came from. I told him that if he wanted me to be Italian I was Italian. I wasn’t going to argue with the guy that gave me my pads and helmet!
I also remember Franco coming in every Friday with the chili he made. It was cool to sit in on that tradition. And Three Rivers was such a magical place to play – with Myron Cope and the Terrible Towels.
How did you get injured?
It was on a kickoff return versus the Eagles. I got hit on the sideline and hurt my neck. I was on the ground getting up and just remember being happy I could move my arms and legs. They put me on IR after that. Once you were on IR then you stayed on IR – you could get claimed off of waivers if they brought you back. As an offensive lineman, it helped me to learn the position – it gave me time to learn the game.
What do you think of the way the NFL has changed since you played?
Player protection is at a premium and that’s a good thing. I think in my first 10 days we had more practices than they do all year now and there’s much less hitting than we had.
Plus, the advancements in science, nutrition and training are so much more advanced. It’s fascinating to see the escalation of how talent is trained and developed.
You were also there during the strike season – what effect did that have on you?
I remember the rookies got no money after the settlement – we lost half of our salary. The veterans got that money – rightfully so. I was there for the 1987 strike too – I experienced two strikes over my career.
It was crazy as a rookie trying to navigate things and learn things during the strike. As a kid from Detroit – it was a big union town – so I supported the strike like I know the people from Pittsburgh did. We tried to get all of us together as players on our own to stay in shape. Jack Ham’s wife was an aerobics instructor and we took a class from her once! That was fun – as a rookie you just go where people tell you!
Any other memories stand out?
When we did Oklahoma drills they’d post the matchups in advance. My first matchup was against LC Greenwood. Those drills were offensive linemen, defensive linemen and a running back. I held my own against him I think – I think I probably neutralized him but I didn’t set the world on fire either!
The thing I remember most though is the people in the organization – the Rooneys. My dad came to visit before the strike and I took him into the locker room where he met Mr. Rooney when he passed through. He introduced himself to my dad – it was maybe a 30-second conversation.
Well after the strike – maybe six months later – my dad came back and Mr. Rooney saw him and said “How are you doing John?” He maybe met him for 30 seconds six months beforehand. Those are things that leave an impression on you. Those are memories you don’t forget.
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