First off, can you let me know what’s next for you – I know you just recently retired or are you still interested in playing if you get a call?
Well I finished playing a couple of years ago. Really, even before I was done playing I was done. My heart just wasn’t in it. I had a construction background growing up – I loved the process of building and creating.
When I was young I worked with my family – they did framing and I was the low man on the totem pole then. I was young but I loved it – that sense of accomplishment. Being able to finish projects – that sense of accomplishment.
You have other ventures now – your home building company 22 Builds. How did that get started and what is it exactly?
It started off in 2020- I just changed the name and the branding this year. I have a couple of partners on the books and we’ve been off and rolling.
I have a great team around me- great people that have helped me along the way. People who help with the branding, real estate consultants, project managers who all made the transition less of a headache. That’s the key – surrounding yourself with the right people who can help you.
What about your time in the NFL has helped you in the this new career path?
Not just in the NFL – football since high school really taught me lessons on leadership, integrity – how to be selfless and to be a good person and teammate. If you embrace character like that you can be successful in anything you do.
Looking back on your football career – were there people who helped mentor you like you have had in this new career path? Who – and how?
There have been so many guys in the NFL who helped. Ryan Kerrigan, Trent Murphy, Chad Grimm, Preston Smith, Pernell McPhee, Chris Carter – they all helped me.
How so?
They took the time to talk to me. To guide me. At the time I didn’t see it – not like I do now. They poured it all into me and helped me to be a pro.
What was the biggest adjustment for you getting to the NFL after Washington drafted you?
That was it really – learning how to be a pro. No one tells you what to do when you’re in the NFL – not like college. Once you get to the NFL you have to be your own man and take care of your own body and your own schedule. That was something I had to learn.
You jumped over to the AFC from the NFC in 2022 and signed with the Steelers. What drove that decision for you?
You know, not many people know this, but I was done. I was coaching at Maryland – trying that out – and working some in real estate at the time. I started liking it – I didn’t tell my agent even. He was getting a lot of calls from teams and getting me workouts but my heart just wasn’t in it anymore. I didn’t respond to him – and I was about to coach my first game at Maryland.
That’s when Coach Lock {Locksley} came up to me and told me Coach Tomlin reached out to him. I said “What?” Coach Lock told me I should give it a try. I thought he would say the opposite – that the first game was coming up and he wanted me there. But he told me I’d regret it if I didn’t try it. I always wanted to play for Pittsburgh. My agent and I talked and we agreed I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t try . So I went and signed.
How were the Steelers different from those other teams – NY and Washington?
I would have rather gone undrafted and gone to play for the Steelers then get drafted in the second round by Washington. They just had better leaders and a better program in Pittsburgh. It was a player-first organization – it was a family atmosphere there. That’s the way I wanted to go out.
Did you know guys on the team?
I knew Levi Walalce, Minkah, Najee – they got me acclimated and showed me where to go, the food spots in the area. Darrel Young, the Director of Player Development, he was a big help that way too.
Any memories stand out most to you – on or off the field – over your time in the NFL?
Trent Williams – going up against him when I first got there. You realized then that this shit was for real!
In Pittsburgh it was more just that Pittsburgh experience. Just the whole experience of being there. It was one for the bank for sure.
As a retired NFL player, what advice would you give to your NFL peers who are looking to take that next step with a new career path?
I’d say, find your people outside of the football space. Find people that will hold you accountable and help get where you want to go. Find the people with the same mission and vision as you who will hold you accountable to it.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
