First off what are you up to now? Still looking to coach?
Well, my last coaching venture at Colorado I fell and messed up my shoulder. I had to have four anchors placed in my shoulder and my bicep reattached. So during that time off I also had my knee replace.
So I recovered from all that and now I’m just seeing what’s out there. I’m semi-retired but if something comes up I’d enjoy, I’d welcome the chance to develop players again.
How did you hurt your shoulder at a game?
It was the craziest thing! I was going up to the press box and a guy was selling beer and put his crate on the ground and I didn’t see it. I tripped over it and blew out my shoulder. I coached from the press box that game – I knew hurt it – the trainers came up and helped me. It was the craziest damn thing I was ever a part of.
Why decide to stay local as player at Pitt?
I played in the Big 33 game and afterwards took a scholarship to Tulsa. I was out there for a few days when my mother got sick and I had to come back home. Foge Fazio was at the Big 33 game and he told me then that if I ever wanted to come back to let him know. So I went to Pitt then as a walk on then received a scholarship after that.
It was the best decision I ever made. Playing with Burt Grossman, Hugh Green, Ricky Jackson….it was a great experience. We went 33-3 and were the who’s who of college football at the time.
How did growing up in Pittsburgh influence you as a player and coach?
I grew up in Squirrel Hill. The bottom line is, looking over the city and seeing the tradition Chuck Noll brought – and that steel-town toughness. It was amazing to be able to come from that environment and be a part of the Pitt legacy.
No one has come close to what Jackie Sherrill did there. He brought a toughness – that mentality. He knew you won with a great offensive and defensive line then got skill players to come. When he got Danny {Marino} to stay home and play at Pitt that was huge. It was an experience I never thought would happen.
My dad was showed me what hard work and success was. He worked from five am and got home at 9:30 pm. He raised me to understand what success was. My mother would feed all of my teammates when I was at Pitt – she’d have hot sausages in a pot for them – Jackie Sherrill loved it! Hugh, Rickey….we’d all eat at my house. Those are some great memories we’ll never give up.
Were you surprised the Steelers drafted you? Were you happy to stay local or had you wanted to go elsewhere?
I was really happy to be a part of the great tradition Noll brought. Woody Widonhofer was a great defensive coordinator. Being there with guys like Jack Lambert and Dwight White – those were a lot of special names there.
Anyone take you under their wing there?
Franco Harris took me in from day one. Tunch Ilkin too – we all worked out together. At night we’d go from Latrobe and get drinks. Sitting there having a beer with Jack Lambert was pretty impressive. I bought him a beer and he said “Hey rookie, never buy me a beer. Let the veterans buy the beer!.” I said “Ok. I’ll have another!”
My one thought was to make the team then – that was an era that was special.
Robin Cole – he taught me to take things one day at a time. But I got hurt in camp – I hurt my knee – I thought that was it. But I went and coached at Pitt and over my career ended up winning four national championships and developed dozens of NFL players.
Any fun memories of your time there?
Just sitting there with guys like Loren Toews and Jack Ham listening to them and trying to learn. Guys like Dennis Winston – the last guy to jump on a pile after a fumble in the Super Bowl but the guy that still managed to come out with the ball!
And Ralph Berlin – he was the guy that ran the training room. He was a lot of fun – even on a bad day, he could get you to laugh.
What was the hardest learning curve as a coach – biggest learning steps?
The biggest thing was the fundamentals. Chuck Noll was such a big stressor of fundamentals. Now when I watch the game you can see fundamentals aren’t what they used to be. That’s a big mistake and why you see so many players get injured. They aren’t working out like they used to – they can only be in pads and work out so often now. I always stressed fundamentals – that’s what you need to make plays and be productive. Will Anderson – when he came to Alabama I told him I was committed to making him the best player I could. He ended up being a first round pick – he brought a work ethic with him. He was never satisfied – he was relentless.
The Raiders’ Bob Buczkowski, Sean Gilbert….those were guys I recruited and developed. Courtney Upshaw – the list goes on. There are so many guys in the NFL now that I developed and had an impact on by working on fundamentals – this is what gets you to the NFL
How did you as a coach work on those fundamentals given those limitations you have now?
I worked on the ABCs – agility, bags and contact. We did that every day. Every day we worked on situational football but we always left time to work on fundamentals. On Wednesdays we worked on the pass rush techniques since you have to get to the QB today.
What made you a such a good coach and recruiter?
I learned that when you have good players you’re a good coach and when you have average players you’re an average coach!
That sounds very much like something Dick LeBeau would say!
Ha! When I recruited players I let them feel the passion I had for the game and told them the parents what we’d do for the kids. If we won my wife would cook the team a home-cooked meal – she did that every week. The kids would come to the house and eat with my family – hundreds of meatballs and tons of lasagna and we’d all eat family style!
So your wife gets the real recruiting credit?
Oh yes! Definitely!
By my count you coached for 14 different teams – how difficult is it moving from team to team like that – how do you establish yourself?
You sell the product you put out there. I taught guys how to win the same way I did at Alabama with Jimbo Fisher when we won championships there. You make guys the best they can be.
I never changed my approach – what I do works. George Perles had three man butt drills – people came out of it with headaches but they worked. I taught them that if they use their hands and feet the right way and don’t get lazy with hand and feet placement and execute correctly, they can’t get blocked. It’s when you get tired or lazy that you get hurt – your hand placement is wrong and you hyper-extend your elbow or knee. You have to strike the pads and man and get off the block. I don’t care who you are – I’ll work your butt off. Ask Will Anderson – he’ll tell you. But he’ll tell you I do it to get the best out of you.
Would you ever coach for the Steelers if asked?
I would love to! It’s funny – when I coached the Panthers I was at a workout working guys out and Mike Tomlin was there. He came up to me and told me it was the best workout he had ever seen. I was having the guys strike and change direction. That gave coaches a real chance to evaluate players. Some workouts they don’t do that with players and you can’t really evaluate them.
You coached for two NFL teams – do you prefer college or NFL coaching?
I honestly enjoyed coaching in the NFL but I love coaching college players. You can see their development. Every player I recruited at Alabama is in the NFL – that’s a great feeling and selling point!