First, can you let readers know what the Right At Home business- how you got started and what your role is there?

Right At Home, is locally owned Franchise, of Right At Home Inc, Our office is located in the North Dallas Metroplex which assists seniors and disabled adults, who need further care in their home. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for those we serve.

My grandmother played a influential role in my life, and in her final years I hired a caregiver to assist her with her daily needs. After she passed, I decided I wanted to play a role in my local community in which I grew up and played football, and bring a sense of peace and joy, to those in need like my grandmother.

Some of the largest fan bases for football are seniors. In this past year rehabbing, I have frequently played a role volunteering in nursing homes, and senior communities to do football trivia, and teach healthy living practices. I assist with the day-to-day operations while also training for football.

What about your time in the NFL and with the Steelers helped prepare you for this role – and did the NFL in general offer post-NFL career help that got you started?

I learned so much from Coach John Mitchell, that the game was a business, and it about producing and picking the right people to accomplish your goals. His approach I have taken with me to every team and this business.

My employees are my team, and we have to give great service everyday, that sense of urgency that Coach John Mitchell instilled in me, I practice at Right at Home and on the field. Our office motto, on every wall reads, Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM) – we believe in it and so do our employees. We are the Right People, doing the right things, for the right reasons.

You were drafted by the Steelers in round four in 2007. Were you surprised to be drafted by Pittsburgh and how competitive was that defensive line corps with the likes of Aaron Smith, Nick Eason, Casey Hampton, Travis Kirschke, to name a few…?

I wasn’t surprised to be drafted, I worked very hard to get to that point. Working with the D-Line with such great guys they emphasized the importance of having a great work ethic – and yes it was very competitive, and i loved that.

Who were the players on the team that helped mentor you as a younger player, and how did they do so? Any examples? And how did it help you specifically?

All the guys on the D-line were influential with their daily inputs about how to approach the game, and how to transition from college to the NFL. These daily inputs from the d-line, I would say were like a impromptu class lesson, where I learned how to become a man, and to master the 3-4 defense. Each person gave their life lessons, and real experiences which set the picture as great mentors for a new player.

How difficult was it for you to adjust to the 3-4 defense? Did you feel it suited your skill set and was it frustrating adapting to that defense, or did you feel comfortable doing so?

The 3-4 defense, was something I hadn’t done before in college but I knew with practice and repetition, it would no longer be a challenge. The 3-4 was suited for my body type, skill set, and my physicality upfront.  I enhanced my skills of the  3-4 under my tenure with the Denver Broncos.

Humor plays a big part in keeping teams loose. Who were some of the guys on the Steelers teams you played for that helped keep things light, and how did they do so? Any examples?

Chris Hoke, would do his Hoke dance before practice and Casey Hampton, was a guy with a great sense of humor about life and his teammates.

In 2008 you were released and ended up in Denver where you played for four years. Was the release a surprise to you and was it frustrating, or did you feel it was better for you even then?

No, it wasn’t a surprise. l always remembered the last words Coach Mike Tomlin stated, that he would see me again. He did, after my team, (Broncos) beat them in the regular season,  knocking them out of the playoffs.

Who were some of the toughest guys you lined up against, both on and off the field, and what made them so. Any examples?

The NFL is filled with good offensive linemen, some you can have your way with, and some you can have a hard time with. I cant remember them all but Bobby Williams,Marshal Yanda from the Baltimore Ravens and Nick Hardwick from the Chargers, were great offensive lineman. I am a firm believer in self, no one off the field intimidates me.

What advice would you give younger players today coming into the NFL with the same sort of skillsets you came into the league with?

I would tell them to practice their craft everyday, never get comfortable,

Any last thoughts for readers?

In life you learn more from your failures than your success. My time in Pittsburgh was a failure for me , but it propelled me to be a better player, and a better man  from the lessons learned. You can use that in any course of life.

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