First, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your time in the NFL?
I’ve done a couple of nine-to-five jobs – now I’m focused on investments and am looking to open an e-commerce store. I also do some speaking here and there for local schools – nothing official.
Was the post-NFL transition tough for you?
It was for me. I left with a sour taste in my mouth since my career didn’t go like I wanted it to. I would have liked one more shot to set the record straight.
It is challenging – definitely. From the standpoint of having had no solid plan B after the game. Overall, I missed the competition for a while. But the sour taste was the biggest issue, to be honest with you.
Were you surprised, first off, that Pittsburgh drafted you in round one?
I was moreso shocked because I only spoke with the Steelers once during the combine. And that was brief. I didn’t have any other contact with them.
I was frustrated actually that I wasn’t picked earlier. I left and started walking out of the house during the draft and was yards away when my brother came out and yelled at me that Coach Cowher was on the phone and Pittsburgh was about to take me. I took off running back to the house and was out of breath, breathing heavily, so I held the phone away from my face while he talked to me and told me they were taking me with their pick!
You alluded to that “sour taste” about how things went earlier. What happened, from your perspective?
For me, it started when I was moved from defense to offense in college. That’s when my career went left. I was a defensive lineman at heart. I made the switch with two years left in college and it just wasn’t the right move for me.
When I spoke to Tampa Bay, Miami and Green Bay, they all asked whose idea it was to move me to offense. They told me it cost me millions – that I would have been a top 10 pick as a defensive lineman. I just never embraced offensive tackle. I showed flashes that I could be great there, but it wasn’t right for me.
Did you talk to Coach Cowher about that in Pittsburgh?
I actually begged him to switch me to defense. I think to them I already showed them I could play offensive tackle. So they never were ok with a switch.
And then the camp struggles…what happened from your perspective?
Well I struggled with the conditioning test as people know, and I was called into Cowher’s room and he notified me of my release. If I recall I told him I hope it’s not the last they hear from me in the NFL and he wished me well. I packed my stuff and took it back to my apartment.
I think I was just not focused at that point. I was distracted and got too involved in partying – that typical bullshit. I put on weight – I was just unfocused and not as mature then.
Once I came into the money it gave me a false sense of power. I thought I could do what I wanted to do. I worked out less – from five to two-to-three times a week. I feel bad about it – I just wasn’t focused – not as mature then.
It’s not who I am now – and I’m thankful for the opportunity they gave me there.
Any fun memories of you time in Pittsburgh?
I remember Earl Holmes once had someone put poop in his shoes. I think it was Olsavsky. He went to his locker and you could see him trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. Then he opened his locker and saw his shoes! I still laugh when I think about that!
You ended up going to Cincinnati after Pittsburgh. How was free agency and that transition to the Bengals for you?
I was never really a free agent – the Bengals picked me up on waivers and paid out the contract. I was there for four seasons and came into my own when I got there. Paul Alexander was the offensive line coach there and he helped me understand the nuances of the position. I enjoyed it there and got to play behind Willie Anderson. By then, I had that stigma on me, but I did mature there and came into my own.
Did you have any mentors in Pittsburgh that helped you there at all?
I do recall some conversations with John Jackson, but nothing consistent – nothing day-to-day. I was more of a loner, if you will. I never connected in that way with other guys.
Any advice you’d pass on to guys entering the game today, taking into account your experiences?
Never lose confidence in yourself – always believe in yourself. Life has its ups and downs – on the field and off – but you have to keep confidence in yourself. I think that’s ultimately what happened to me – I lost confidence in myself.
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