First off, what have you been up to since your playing days?

I had so many injuries when I played. Unfortunately, my career wasn’t what I wanted it to be because of the injuries.

So after football, I took a liking to training kids and helping them. That’s what I’ve been up to – training kids on their football speed and conditioning. Helping them from that standpoint.

Were there coaches and coaching lessons that you lean on as a coach?

All the coaches I had were impactful on my life. All had a different philosophy and played a major part in my life. They showed me that hard work and commitment were essential. Most athletes at this level have the ability – but it’s the ones that want it more and have the biggest heart that make it.

Your first love was basketball right?

My first love was basketball yeah. But I wasn’t good enough to make it as a basketball player, to tell you the truth! My passion was basketball – it’s something I played growing up.

I started football real late. I didn’t play high school football. I walked on the football team in junior college. I didn’t know if I could even play – I just had some friends that played. I had raw talent – the speed and had good hands. And I was always tough too – those qualities helped me.

I had to learn the game in college – but I was injured in junior college so I didn’t get much experience. I broke my collarbone twice there. But I got a scholarship afterwards to Missouri. Thank God there I didn’t have any serious injuries.

How do you think playing basketball helped you as a football player?

I was born with natural speed. I was second only to Raghib Ismail in the 40 that draft. Basketball helped me with my hands. You always use your hands in basketball – it helped me with hand-eye coordination – which of course helped me as a receiver. That all came naturally to me.

Were there guys in Dallas, where you were drafted to, that helped you as a rookie? How so?

Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman – they all took me in. They saw I had talent and encouraged me. They were a major impact in helping me to develop. What I saw – the hard work and dedication they out it influenced me. They were work-a-holics. The way they went about their business every day impacted me.

How did you end up in Pittsburgh?

I was in Houston when I got injured again – I had a serious shoulder injury and couldn’t recover from it. I thought my career was probably over when Pittsburgh called. They had me come in for a workout then signed me. I went to camp but re-injured my shoulder again. The shoulder really prevented me from pursuing my dream.

Any good memories of your time in Pittsburgh that stand out?

I loved Cowher’s hard-nosed approach – I enjoyed his mindset. I had a really good preseason in Pittsburgh and everyone encouraged me before the injury. We all encouraged each other – it was a great culture. It was a collective thing there,

And who wouldn’t want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler? There’s no atmosphere like Pittsburgh’s. Steeler nation – the Terrible Towels, fans and cold weather. It was an amazing experience there.

Were there guys you enjoyed lining up against in practice?

Rod Woodson – he was a Hall of Fame corner. And Carnell Lake. Going up against them was great. They didn’t try to kill you in practice then. I held my own against them I think. In preseason I was the team’s leading receiver and led the team in kickoff return yards and yards per catch. I was a big play receiver and had some big plays on special teams – I returned one for a touchdown.

You played for four different teams over your five-year career. How did you navigate that as a person – not just as a player?

It was very stressful. When you’re not a high draft pick your always on the edge. Teams often have more invested in other players. As an underdog the stress level was always there. The only way to deal with it is to just try and control what you can control. I was fortunate to be able to play for five years doing that.

Lastly, what advice would you give to those entering the NFL under similar circumstances?

I’d say to never give up on your dream. Continue to fight and compete – don’t give up. Those injuries I had took away my career from me. I had a lot of concussions too – a lot of hits to the head. But it’s the players who work the hardest who end up achieving their dreams.

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