First off, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your playing days?
My football career ended in 2007 with the Falcons. After that I went into pharmaceutical sales and did that for three years then went into medical device sales here in Little Rock, Arkansas, I’ve been doing that for 14 years and have been married for 20 years, with three kids.
Are your kids into sports like you were?
My daughter is a swimmer yes – and my older son is into baseball and football – I sometimes help out coaching the team’s offensive line.
What helped you most to adjust to life after football?
There was a guy who played at Arkansas and in the NFL for a few years- Ryan Hale – who led Bible studies and told me that you can’t let your jersey be your identity. I hadn’t heard that before ad that stayed with me.
Looking back, were you surprised at being draft by the Steelers in 2004?
I thought it could happen. You never know until you know. But I had a pre-employment physical and watched tape then with Russ Grimm. I knew I was on their radar. But I was surprised when I got the call – it was Kevin Colbert who called and asked if I wanted to be a Steeler. I said “Yes sir.” Then he passed the phone over to Russ and we talked and he gave me the dates for the training camps.
Were there guys that helped you the most when you got there?
I couldn’t have asked for a better staff and group of players. There were so many great leaders and guys. Marvel Smith, Alan Faneca, Oliver Ross, Max Starks, Keydrick Vincent…they were all helpful. As a late-round pick there was a lot to learn.
The hardest thing was the playbook. In college you have a lot more time to learn the playbook – you don’t have much time in the NFL. They all helped me in different ways. Marvel was a quiet guy and led by example. Oliver was a late round pick and always had good advice. Keydrick worked his way up to starting as an undrafted free agent. He helped me with technique and in the weight room. And Alan was helpful too – he invited me over to his house for dinner as another SEC guy.
What stood out to you in those practices with those other guys?
One thing I noticed in practice was with guys like Joey Porter. In college guys had one move they did really well and if you stopped that one move you won. But Porter – he had one great move then a second and third behind that in the same play. Guys in the NFL were just more well-rounded – they had a deeper toolbox.
What was the one area you needed to improve on the most?
I was never talented enough to be a premier left tackle like Marvel was. I was good enough to be a solid backup but as a backup in the NFL you have to be more than just a left tackle. I needed to be more versatile and I just wasn’t good enough at the other positions.
What made Russ Grimm so good as a coach?
Russ had a real-world mentality. He let players be themselves. If you asked how to do something he’d tell you to do it in the way that felt most comfortable to you. He wasn’t cookie-cutter. He felt that if you won at the point of attack you’d have a chance. He let you do what was comfortable to you.
And he had been there and done that – at a high level.
What did they say to you when they let you go at first?
Kevin Colbert told me that they liked me but were going to let me go today and put me on their practice squad tomorrow- and they did.
What was life like on the practice squad there?
It was only an eight-man practice squad then – there weren’t a lot of extra guys to help out. Our job was to give the team good looks of the teams they were playing. I just did the best I could – we emulated the other team’s schemes more than specific players.
But week 14 Cleveland pulled me off the practice squad on to their active roster. I was walking into a Subway with Eric Taylor when I got the call and had to leave for Cleveland that night and practice there the next day.
Was there a difference you noticed between Cleveland and Pittsburgh in how they did things?
It was just different philosophies and culture – it was neither good or bad. I loved being active and would have loved to have been an active player for the Steelers. But three weeks later Cleveland let me go – they had some injuries – and I went back to Pittsburgh before Chicago picked me off the practice squad.
Did Cleveland try to pick your brain at all about the Steelers?
As a rookie there wasn’t much to pick! Cleveland brought me in pre-draft as well so I knew I had been on their radar as well. The Steelers guys gave m some good natured kidding – Keydrick was a character and did that some.
What are some of fun moments that stand out over your time there?
The rookie dinners were fun – we’d take our positions out to eat. Max and I took the offensive line room to Mortons – it was the most expensive dinner I had ever seen! We also had to keep the fridge stocked with Gatorade. The team supplied the Gatorade but we had to organize it.
But just being around those guys – there were so many high-level guys in the room. Bettis, Porter, Faneca – it was just great watching how they prepared.
How did Bill Cowher impact that team?
That’s a good question. We all had respect for him – he was super nice but knew how to keep it about business. We always knew where we stood with him.
You came in with Ben Roethlisbeger – did you have a sense as a rookie how good he could be?
I really liked Ben – we came in together and he was great to be around. He was thrust into the starting role early. I knew he would be successful – he practiced hard – but you never expect someone to be that successful.
What made that team so successful that season from your perspective?
We had a lot of great individual leaders. The starters on the offensive line were all terrific. Faneca played with a broken wrist but he didn’t miss a down. Marvel had an injured neck but you never heard a word from him – he just kept working and stayed late after practice. Max led by example. They all just kept moving forward. No one complained.
Lastly, what advice would you give other players given your experience in the NFL?
Be as versatile as you can be! That’s the one thing I would have tried harder to do if I were able to go back again.