First, can you let mew know what you’ve been doing with yourself since you retired from the NFL?
Now, I’ve started a transportation company – shipping cars nationwide. I oversee that. I also work with a gym in Columbus, Ohio that I own with a couple of buddies and have a couple of other small business ventures.
My real passion – I’m a big bowhunter and like to work on land management stuff too. I’m really into that – it’s a year-round hobby. Archery too.
I also work for Grosetti Performance – it’s an athletic training center where we train guys from the combine. I’m an offensive line specialist for NFL combine prep. I started doing that last year. It’s my way to keep my football fix going.
I know for a short while you were looking at becoming a tight end. That still of interest to you? Or the AFL or XFL?
The tight end thing came about when I was training the offensive linemen. I lost weight and felt really good and thought I’d see if I could try and help teams. But it’s not something I’m pursuing now,
I don’t think I’m interested in playing now. I take my solace in deer hunting and the serenity it offers me. I’m all the way into it. I’ve been filming now with Tiemen for a web series on hunting too. I have fun doing that stuff. I played football for over 20 years. It’s nice to do something different.
Was the post-NFL adjustment difficult? What helped?
So much goes into it. What to do post-football professionally. The whole missing the game physically and mentally can be tough. When I was playing football I took time to plan ahead to have some things in place. I wanted to have that freedom after football and I was blessed because of that.
My last year, I was hurt and didn’t play. But I could spend my time in the woods. I was dealing with the injuries mentally and physically and I found peace and comfort in nature. It helped me after playing. I knew I had a hobby to keep me busy. No one wants to sit around at the age of 28 trying to figure out something to do.
Stepping back some – lots of stories on you talking with the Steelers during the pre-draft process, wanting to be a Steeler. Were you surprised when it happened?
During the draft process I just spent the time being open with the team. I met with them at the combine and was open with them about my family being from around Pittsburgh and being a big Steelers fan. How much it meant to me to get a chance to be a Steeler.
Then I had the trouble at the combine with the drug test. I just continued to be open and transparent and honest. I was myself throughout the process and I let them assess me for who I was.
When I was drafted I wasn’t too surprised. But I was extremely happy. I knew someone would take me that night. I was called by the Jets right before the Steelers picked me – they had the pick right before the Jets. I had contact with Tomlin, the Rooneys and Colbert throughout the process and was confident it was a place I could land.
Who helped you once you were drafted – to show you what life in the NFL was like and as a Steeler?
I got to go to a great group of guys. Polamalu, Keisel, Clark – those kinds of guys, From an offensive line standpoint, there were plenty of people to show me the way, Me, DeCastro, Beachum – we were all rookies. Max Starks helped us a lot. He was a veteran brain to pick. He knew what we were going through as rookies and was familiar with things on and off the field we were dealing with.
The older guys gave us a full circle view of what what we we dealt with and understood what we were thinking and feeling. Dealing with injuries and the business side of football when you were injured – what to expect them. When I had my back surgery, James Harrison told me what to expect and helped me out with the mental aspect since he had gone through that too.
Tell me a bit about Mike Tomlin. Lots of adversity now for him – how did he handle that stuff when you were there?
The thing I have to say about Mike is, he did a great job of keeping everyone together. He kept everyone singularly focused on the task at hand. He limited outside distractions. As you know, in Pittsburgh, when things get fishy with the fans and the media when things aren’t going well, it can be tough. He did a great job of making sure everyone was still focused. You have to handle business and I respected that about him. He never let any of the heat that was on him relay back to us, if you know what I mean. He was cool and under control. He was a great example of how to be when your back is against the wall.
Also, his attention to detail is something he stressed. Compared to other coaches I played for, he was the most on-point with that.
Any fun stories to share about your time in Pittsburgh?
The coolest moment in the locker room happened when James Harrison came back to Pittsburgh after he left the year before to play in Cincinnati. The love and appreciation everyone showed him in the locker room was great. He was a legend in Pittsburgh and one of the best to play the game – with those big plays in the Super Bowl and sacks. All the great things he had done.
I saw a couple of careers end for guys who still wanted to play. James was able to stick it out and come back to Pittsburgh. He was an inspiration to see. When I lined up against him when he played for Cincinnati – seeing him in that orange and black, I just thought “Oh, great…” He was a class act. Playing with guys like that – guys you watched as a kid and creating memories with those guys – it’s an awesome deal. You can’t put a price on that. I’ll always look back on the game and appreciate what it’s done for me.
Last question – even in the short time since you retired, the game has changed exponentially. As an offensive lineman, do you like the way it’s changed?
You see good teams still are balanced on offense and have a heck of a running game. The top teams have guys like Gurley, Kamara, Ingram, Conner…
Offensive lineman love big plays too, but we like balance and like to pound the rock as well. There’s a lot of notice now on penalties – roughing the passer calls and things like that. I get wanting to protect your investments. The physicality though is what everyone loves. You can try and keep it safe but we all know this is what we signed up for. I appreciate the safety aspect, but it’s disheartening when you see so many roughing the passer calls on guys just making football plays and falling on the quarterback. No one wants to see penalties called on routine plays like that.
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