First, what have you been involved with lately -family, work, etc.
Well, I moved 19 times and my kids have gone to 28 schools. So I’m making up time with my family after all of that time I spent in the NFL. And I also help out some of the coaches here in Cleveland at Notre Dame College. So I’ve had fun helping them too.
Your work on the Inner Circle is well-known and lauded – how did that start and what you think about the legacy and impact its having on players today?
Well, it started when a player came to me who was on drugs. We helped save many players’ lives because Art Modell paid for all of their treatments. It all started with Art because his son had the same type of problems so he helped the players who had issues. He helped eight-to-10 players on those Cleveland teams.
The Inner Circle Foundation is now a nonprofit that serves at risk kids in the Cleveland Metropolitan District. Dr. Greg Collins worked with me to create the first substance prevention program in the NFL and created Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation 10 years ago. You can learn more about it at coachsams.org
Is the NFL doing well in the way it addresses addiction and drug issues today?
I don’t think any9one is doing what we did then. But I haven’t been very connected to the NFL so I’m not sure what they are doing for sure.
I think they need to be better at getting people to clinics though. I don’t hear about guys going enough to treatment an the4 NFL helping with that. The NFL or NFLPA. So I do think they need to do better at getting players to treatment.
So, how did you get your coaching start and why did you start?
That’s a good question. I took a lot from guys like Lou Saban, Tom Landry and even Chuck Noll. And Glenn Collier as well. I started in high school, then went to college and coached five professional teams.
I was a scholarship player in college but I liked t help out the coaches too. I just always liked coaching even though it meant a lot of moving. You’re in a good place in Pittsburgh! There’s not many coaching moves there!
Spoke to former Steelers TE Eric Green who played for you in college at Liberty and described your as so “He showed how player-coach relationships should be. Total honesty – one-hundred percent real. It was the truth ” How would you describe your coaching style and who were your mentors?
I think my mom and dad and all of the coaches I worked for really. They way Saban treated his players – he got to know them. Watching that, and the teachings of my mom and dad – those helped me most.
You had a good rivalry with the Steelers in the 70’s/early 80’s What was your relationship like with Chuck Noll?
Noll was a quiet guy of course. I got a chance to know him a little. He was a great coach but his quietness was always something. You can tell a lot about him by what he accomplished though and what his players felt about him. That says a lot about what kind of guy he was.
But he was definitely not a guy who liked to talk!
You spoke our about Cleveland missing out on Bill Cowher – what was your relationship with Bill and why were you so high on him then?
Cowher did a great job with me – as a special teams player and coach. What he accomplished and making it to the Hall of Fame shows what his ability was as a coach. I’m very proud of him and glad I could have a part in what he became.
Do you watch the NFL/Browns today? What do you think of the league in general today and of the Steelers rivalry today?
I’m right there when we play Pittsburgh. I don’t think the rivalry is the same as it was. I’m happy I coached at the time I did. Players are not the same now. Most are more interested in money. Coaches don’t have the same time with players today to connect with them. We could get to know them better then and connect with them. I don’t think you see that as much today.
Any good memories of the Steelers and those games then?
We could never beat them! I respected them so much. All three Rooneys – the grandfather father, and son. Could you imagine having just three owners in 63 years? That’s unbelievable. Cleveland could never have come close to that.
When I played, I’d take time outs for prayer! It was so tough playing against those teams/ All those years – Pittsburgh was a wonderful place and organization to play against. Just not so wonderful to me!