First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?

Well, when I retired I went back to school to get my teaching certificate. I probably will go into coaching. I started a couple of other businesses too – just trying to stay busy. I’m still in Texas – I went back to Baylor and, thirty years later, I’ll get my degree one week before my son does!

How hard was the post-NFL adjustment for you?

I think being in the league for nine years – playing as long as I played ….. it was hard to find a way to stay busy. My wife is still in Pittsburgh and my son will graduate from Duquesne. I drove a semi for eight years. It helped me to be able to see my kids – I could take the truck and leave any time. One went to school in Michigan too so it helped keep me going. It would have been hard to keep traveling to see them otherwise.

I also had some drug issues. I regrouped – got myself back together. I try to stay busy still. I don’t need to work but I want to. I think I’m qualified to coach. I’ll stay here in Texas – I have a cousin who is a head coach. I’d like to do something that got me here in the first place.

What coaches and playing experiences do you think will help you most as a coach?

I started at running back, wide receiver, and tight end in the NFL. I learned to read defenses and the job duties of all three positions. They are all different – and I learned the adjustments at wide receiver, which I think are the hardest in the NFL. I learned how to block in pass protection as a running back, which was really important then and now. And as a tight end, I wasn’t the biggest guy, but I learned to block bigger guys with the right technique.

With all of that knowledge, and the way you are taught technique and fundamentals in Pittsburgh, I think I could be a good coach. The game has changed, but not a lot. You still have to tackle guys and get them down on the ground!

You were a first round draft pick of the Steelers. How much pressure was there for you in getting picked round one?

In Pittsburgh, they had eleven guys make the Pro Bowl that year. They were a great team. And on the first day of camp I pulled a hamstring. All the guys were telling me I couldn’t make the club in the tub…that this rookie who was making all of this money wasn’t working! I felt bad.

But Joe Greene was my inspiration. He came to my house in Texas after I was drafted.  I didn’t even know he was in the area. My mom told me to come downstairs. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to play pro ball when I was drafted. I broke my hip my senior year in college – I only played in three games that year. When I woke up from my hospital bed an Atlanta scout was there telling me they’d take me in the third round…. But I rehabbed and got better, and the Steelers drafted me.

But yeah, it was a lot of pressure. To perform and represent the city. There was high competition on the team and there were so many great leaders there. It is unusual to have that many leaders on one team like that.

There was also pressure from Chuck Noll. He was a hard but firm man. No one was respected more than the Chief too. He was a great, great man. Not because of the money or his platform. But because of the way he lived. He was one of us and made you feel like family. That made you feel like you wanted to give 110%

As a rookie, who helped you to adjust to life in the NFL?

Sydney Thornton – he was there to answer questions for me 24/7. He was  there for a while and helped me learn the plays and terminology.  Chuck was tough about that – you go to know your adjustments, and I did.

Joe Greene was helpful with inspiration and encouragement. They all worked hard – we hit every day then – not like they do today. I guess there’s a big difference when you have $100,000 versus $1 million at risk!

In ’83, you asked to be traded…what happened?

It was a mistake – I didn’t realize how special it was then in Pittsburgh.  They were moving me from running back to wide receiver. I wanted to play running back. I was having a bad camp and they were moving me to receiver. Bradshaw, if it were Swann or Stallworth, Chuck would make sure Bradshaw got them the ball if they were open. But when I was open I never got the ball. I got tired of that and thought it would be better somewhere else. They also drafted Louis Lipps in the first round, and I saw the writing on the wall. Chuck always said if you want to leave the team to just see him in his office. So I did and asked for a trade.

New England was just being back in college. The Sullivans were not a football family like the Rooneys were then.

Was it frustrating being moved around from position to position?

It kept me on the field. I just wanted to play. Swann left, Jimmy Smith went to the USFL… When they moved me to receiver it was just like my time in college. I played wingback my freshman and sophomore years. Then they tried me at running back – just for a couple of weeks, they said. I asked, and they said they just wanted to try for another week….then another… I asked if they were going to move me back to receiver but they just left me at running back. The same thing happened in Pittsburgh. I thought playing receiver was a two-week thing. I thought it was just to help for depth, in case they had injuries. Then a preseason game comes up and I play running back. Then two to three more games ….and the season is getting closer. So, it was like, here it goes again…

The same thing happened in New England. But that’s the way things go. It kept me in the league. You can never complain about playing in the NFL!

What are some of the funnier memories you have of your time in Pittsburgh?

Bradshaw was always a fun-loving guy. Everybody had their moments, really. I remember once in Cleveland – it was snowing so much we couldn’t see out of the windows. The bus driver was backing up but couldn’t see, so we all helped him and told him how far to back up, when “Wham!”  we had him back up into a pole on purpose! We were all cracking up. He was so pissed but we were all laughing, because it was Cleveland, so we didn’t care…

Once we were also all put into this really old, smelly bus. We usually rode in new buses but this one day it was just really bad. Chuck just got off the bus and went to the manager and yelled at him – he told him that if he ever did it again he’d be fired. That’s when I knew that he had authority over everyone but the Chief. It was easy there – you had one boss. In New England, you didn’t know who to listen to. The Director of Player Personnel would tell you how to play, the GM would tell you what to do and the coaches would too. In Pittsburgh, you had one direction and that was from Chuck.

Do you watch the NFL today? What are your thoughts on how the game has changed?

They watered the game down so much. At least the players are getting a better share of the profits. Back when I played the players got 16%. Now it’s close to 49%. That’s fair. The TV contracts are what makes it so different. And I know they are protecting the players more, but some if it is so watered down. And I hate the new catch rules. A catch is a catch – some of these players and teams have gotten robbed lately.

Any last thoughts for readers?

I was blessed to be there. Pittsburgh is a real football town. The Pittsburgh citizens aren’t like they are down here. In Pittsburgh it’s do or die. It made us feel appreciated. We were treated with respect and honor. Like we were gladiators. They treated us well and made you proud to be a Steeler. It made you work harder to represent the city. It pushed us a little more. No question.

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