First, tell me a bit about what you’ve been doing since your time in the NFL?
Well after football, I had a hard time adjusting to the working world. I didn’t finish with my degree.
So, I got to working with kids in group homes after a friend of mine helped me find the job. It was the House of Champions – my friend was a former athlete from USC who believed in emphasizing positivity with the kids. I also became a foster parent to two of the kids – twins – who are both now successful, married with kids.
After that I began to work with adults with autism – ages 18 to 60. Due to my background working with the kids it helped me in this position at Opportunity for Independence. On the side I started a window-cleaning business too and many of the adults I work with work there. They get accolades for the work they do there which makes them feel good. I also have a program with Burger King who employs some of them as well.
I grew up without a father – so I feel that helped me to be a role model for other people. They would follow me because I had overcome some things and, being an athlete who played for USC and the Steelers – that helped to have them respect and follow me.
You said you’re also writing a book about your father – tell me about that?
I’m in the midst of writing a book about my father. My dad was a boxer – Thad Spencer – when the heavyweight boxers were the most popular athletes at the time – guys like Ali and Frazier. My dad was supposed to fight Ali, but then Ali was stripped of his title, so the boxing commission formed an eight-boxer elimination tournament which included my dad. My dad fought Ernie Terrell – the guy who wouldn’t recognize Ali – first in the tournament and beat him. That was in the Houston Astrodome with Howard Cossell calling he fight. But he lost the next round to Jerry Quarry – the Great White Hope. My dad actually got arrested three days before the fight – they probably should have postponed the fight. But that loss tore my dad up.
After that fight my dad was never the same. He got shot six times – two separate incidents. He also almost got run over by another guy while he was still on crutches after getting shot. My dad had six fights after the Quarry fight but just gave them all away. As he said, he just fought to get to the parties afterwards. He partied hard and got in with the wrong crowd. He had his entourage and hung out with some big wigs like Sinatra, but he went to the streets. I never saw him.
Not having my dad around – that inspired me to be a person to help others.
Stepping back – as a West Coast guy – how did you end up on the East Coast with the Steelers after not getting drafted?
I was the number one high school back in California and was recruited by Nebraska, Washington – a lot of the top schools then. I chose USC because that was the school to go to, being a West Coast guy. They had Marcus Allen then, but he was blocking for Charles White when I got there. I thought they’d keep him at that spot and I’d be the tailback. But, they moved Marcus to tailback and me to fullback. I ended up playing on the opponent squad for the team giving them looks of the teams we’d play.
it was devastating when they moved me to fullback. I came there to run. I ended up blocking for Marcus when he won the Heisman Trophy – Marcus brought me and some of the other guys to the Heisman ceremony in New York. Even then, I was still second on the team in rushing yards and scored the winning touchdown against Notre Dame and rushed for over 70 yards in that 14 to 7 win.
The next season they had another guy they liked when Allen left – Fred Krutcher – and so they still kept me at fullback. He got hurt so I got a chance to play tailback and rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns versus Oregon, then had 99 yards in the first half versus Stanford, but then I got hurt. Then, after that year Coach Robinson left and took the coaching staff with him – that just set me back more.
So you end up going undrafted…
It was devastating. But the next day after the draft the Giants called my agent and had me come into camp there. I flew in with the rest of the draft picks. Parcells said he liked me after the mini-camp and said he wanted to sign me, but my agent told me Pittsburgh wanted to bring me in too. Jed Hughes was a UCLA guy and he must have seen me play – he was my guy there in Pittsburgh. They offered me more than New York did and had some bigger incentives, so I chose Pittsburgh.
Anyone help mentor you when you got there?
Elton Veals – he was a draft pick and Calvin Sweeney was a former USC guy – I didn’t know him well but we had that connection. Lipps was the number one pick and people talked to him a lot.
I remember catching a pass in camp and made a move – it nearly broke the safety’s knee, he said. That caught Chuck Noll’s eye. I could also play fullback and knocked guys off the ball – so that was good too. I had a good preseason – I led the team in rushing yards that preseason and people were saying I was a steal. We played the Giants the last game of the preseason and Mark Malone audibled and pitched it to me – I ran for a 60-yard touchdown. It was called back due to a clip on the other side of the field by Bennie Cunningham, but it had nothing to do with the play. After the game a reporter asked if that play made me think I made the team. I told him I knew I could play in the league. Then they put my on kick-off returns and I knew I had made it.
They really liked Rich Erenberg then though so he was ahead of me first on kickoffs. But I did return some until Chuck got more confidence in me. I got hurt though and they put me on IR until the championship game versus Miami. Erenberg busted his nose and they weren’t sure if he could play, so they told me they were going to re-activate me from injured reserve, which was an awesome feeling. It was like I made the team twice!
What happened the following season?
Noll had me play tailback more as well as fullback the next season. I started in the first preseason game that year versus Tampa Bay and returned kickoffs. They told me then that I had made the team.
But, I messed up. That’s the other side of this story. I got caught with marijuana in my system at the combine. And drugs derailed my career. When you smoke, it makes you suck wind. And after a game versus Cleveland, I smoked pot before a big team meeting. We were all in a room together when Noll took me aside in front of everyone and walked me behind a curtain. I could see guys like Pollard and Stallworth watching us. He talked to me about the effects of marijuana – how it stays in your system. In your balls. I thought he was going to cut me there, but instead he was just acting concerned for me.
I was making strides after that. I stayed clean. But I didn’t realize that they really liked me. I didn’t trust it. Maybe I didn’t have confidence after everything that happened at USC. Not having a dad to guide me. Pollard – he wasn’t a great role model for me either. He and Abercrombie didn’t get along even though both were from Baylor. I would see Pollard say things behind Abercrombie’s back. I didn’t really see that from Walter though. But I was a young guy. What did I know?
Near the end of that second season another player invited me over to his place and we did stuff we shouldn’t have. The next morning when I got to work Ralph Berlin stopped me right away and asked for a blood test. I think he set me up, to be honest. It came out positive for cocaine. I never did cocaine before – marijuana was the drug I used when I did anything. But that one time…
Why do you think he would have done that?
I think he felt threatened. I was a young guy the team liked, and he was trying to stick on the team. I was coming up on my option year and I think he knew that. But, it was my fault. I’m the one that did the drugs.
Any good times that stand out for you there?
I had great times there. A lot of those guys came to my wedding – Sweeney and others. And meeting Franco Harris was a big deal to me. As was Lynn Swann.
I’m in a good space now. I had kids later in life – have a 16 year-old daughter and am blessed. I have a good life – I went to my dream college and played for a great organization and a great family like the Rooneys. I am proud to be a part of the Steelers and USC legacies.
It makes you humble now. I lived two lives. As an athlete, and now afterwards as a guy who is doing a regular job. It’s not easy to find a job after the NFL. The NFL never leaves you – I carry that torch with me wherever I go and try to leave an impression and help others where I go. I’m still searching to do more.
I’m in a band – we do covers and play some local venues – I have a small following here. I also do speaking engagements too. And I’m being a dad. I never had a dad that was there for me. But I am here for my kids – that’s something I have to do – that is important to me.
I just wish I stayed clean in Pittsburgh. I would have played longer. But I’m glad now that I can use those lessons to help other people.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
I’m so Proud of you cousin ❤️.