Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Anthony Henton, 1986-1988

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

I’m just trying to be humble and grateful about all that God has gotten me in my life. I’m working at U.S. Pipe making steel pipe. I’ve been doing that for 27 years now.

How hard was the post-NFL adjustment for you?

Well, it is hard getting adjusted to the real world. A lot of guys, maybe they take stuff for granted. I put God ahead in my life and everything else worked out fine with my family and personal life.

It can be frustrating. I’m so grateful because you hear about guys who struggle after football. I had my struggles but I put my trust in God and that helped me to prioritize things in my life. You can hurt the people you love when you try to keep up wit the Jones’. I stayed grounded. I did what God asks us to do. He opens our eyes to the things he promises us when we follow him.

Stepping back and talking about the draft – were you surprised to be drafted by the Steelers?

I was drafted in the ninth round. I was really just the type of person who was told all of my life that I wasn’t smart enough, or big enough, or fast enough. I just competed and did the best I could. I remember watching film with a Steelers scout and thinking I was too small for the NFL – I was 215 pounds at the time. Well, the scout – I forget who it was – he told me that Jack Lambert was small when he came to the Steelers too. That opened my eyes 0 and that was the only team I really spoke to.  The scout also told me that the team ran some of the same schemes we ran at Troy,

How did you learn you were drafted?

I was just stunned when I got the call. I was at the library – a bunch of the guys on the team were watching the draft on TV, but I told them it was silly to watch it, that none of us would get drafted.

Well, I  walked back from the library and into the dorm when someone told me I had a call from a team on the second floor. So I went up and spoke to them on the dorm payphone – that’s when I found out the Steelers drafted me.

Who on the team helped you as a rookie to adapt to the team and NFL?

It was a combination – the whole chemistry of everybody there. I just tried to do what I do when I got there. All of the sudden Shell, Stallworth – they would tell me they were going to get something to eat and say “Homeboy – come one and get something to eat with us!” I didn’t think about it at the time – it wasn’t a big deal. But it was real nice. The atmosphere there was just real nice.

You were nominated the rookie of the year and won the Joe Greene Award that year. Why do you think they gave you those honors?

I just tried to do what I always did – work hard and compete. I took nothing for granted.I guess it was just God’s path. I did some things – made plays and was just in the right place at the right time. I was just doing what I do. I did well on special teams, and I was just eager to do anything I could to help the team.

That was also at the time when Chicago ran their 46 defense, and I ended up playing in a form of that that Pittsburgh used. I was the extra linebacker in that scheme.

Any memories stand out to you from your time there?

I remember recovering a fumble by Walter Payton and playing against him. He was such a professional. I remember playing against him in Chicago and making eye-to-eye contact with him. I stunted to the inside and should have stopped him from getting a first down, but I didn’t run in at full speed. I tackled him and thought I stopped him, but I looked at him and he just smiled, like, “Good try kid!” He knew he got the first down, And he did.  I just remember him smiling and looking at me in the eye – you could tell what kind of person he was.

Also, my first year there, I realized quickly that Tony Dungy was one of the best people I would know. I loved him and his family – they’d have us over their house for Bible class – my son and his daughter were both still in diapers then and would play together. They’d tell the players to “Come as you are.” If we had friends over, to bring them. If we’re coming from a club, that was fine. Just come and share the Word. To this day, I still get cards from them on the holidays.

How was Tony to play for?

He would always take input from players. He wouldn’t just dictate – he’d take ideas from players. He’d tell us they did things a certain way to make the defense more sound and explain why, so if you want to do things your way you better make the play. But he’d give you the opportunity to do things your own way. He’s listen.

What happened to cut your time short there?

At the end of Spring I tweaked my knee in camp, just as camp was almost over. The trainer gave me a couple of Ibuprofen for the swelling and I went back home after camp. But it was still giving me trouble and was still swollen, so I called the team and they flew me back to take a look at it. They scoped it and it ended up that I had torn cartilage. By the time they decided to scope it the season was about to start, so they put me on IR and that was really it for me.

Any thoughts on the NFL and players today?

I love to see guys play hard and compete. Someone has to win and someone has to lose. I learned a lot from losing. In college, we won the championship by one point.

I’m just real grateful for the presence of God in my and my family’s life. I know some of these guys made a lot more money than me, but for some of them it didn’t work out they way they thought it would even though they had that money.  I’ve bene married 34 years and have four kids. My wife is a Godsend. I remember praying once when I played that if I didn’t treat my family right then God should take the NFL away from me. I’d rather have been a great husband and father than have the glamour and fame.

If more of these players have that approach and just do the best they can regardless of anything else and keep God first, He’ll find a way.

Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades.  To order, just click on the book: