First, let me know what you’ve been up to since your time in the NFL and how you got started?
I work for Direct Supply, Inc. as the Director of National Accounts. We supply equipment – and build – long-term care facilities – the equipment, ventilators, technology and e-commerce platforms – everything . I work with C-Suite relationships across the country.
After I finished my NFL career – I ran left and my leg went eight and tore my ACL, MCL – that was God’s way of saying it’s time to get a real job. So I went back to school at Wisconsin and got my business degree in marketing, and was then recruited by Altria. I think they liked the attributes that many of us as athletes have – leadership, discipline, commitment – hard work. But between football and moving around for that job, I moved six times in nine years. My wife looked at me and we talked about raising a family and growing roots somewhere.
So, I looked around and found this great company that was in a market with great demographics with so many baby boomers. 14 interviews later, I got the job at Direct Supply and it’s been a wonderful ride.
What do you enjoy about it?
One thing I like is that the executives in healthcare often back in to leadership positions. That makes for wonderful talks because it’s not just about the business-side of things – we talk about how we can make it a unique experience for seniors and how we can give them a more dignified life – how we, for example, can use technology to enable them to stay in touch with their families. That is something I enjoy.
How hard was that post-NFL adjustment for you?
I was fortunate – my mother was a principal and then a superintendent at a high school and my father was a football coach and PE teacher. They did a good job of rooting my brother and I – teaching us that football is only a short window even if you make it. I always knew I wanted to get into the business work.
But the transition from playing in front of 85,000 people in Wisconsin and 65,000+ in Pittsburgh and Indianapolis to holding staff contests for flat screen TVs can be a bit different!
Also, in college and especially in the NFL they are the best in the world at what they do. In the NFL there may be, what 50 starting linebackers? They are the cream of the crop. You get used to excellence. In the corporate environment you don’t always get that same level of excellence. That takes some getting used to. It’s not intentional – just not everyone is the cream of the crop. That can give me a competitive advantage but it takes some adjustment.
Looking at your NFL career – you came to Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent. Why did you choose Pittsburgh as a team to play for?
I walked on to Wisconsin. I was too small and light for a linebacker – I was 6′ 0″ and under 230 pounds. I was the same size when I got to Pittsburgh. They had mountains of men there at linebacker – Kirkland, Gildon, Porter – they were unbelievable.
But being a walk-on at Wisconsin I was used to starting at the bottom. My work ethic, desire to help other guys on the team and being a stand-up athlete – man that can take you a long way. Volunteering at hospitals – having that unique work ethic and attitude – football coaches want guys like that around. That’s the approach I took.
In the draft, I thought I might go in the sixth or seventh round. But it was a blessing in disguise to not get drafted I think. I got the chance to choose where I played. The Jets, Giants, Bears, Bengals all called, but I chose the Steelers due to their leadership. For me executive leadership made a big difference in what team I wanted to play for. Look at the Bengals and Bears – they struggled because they had terrible leadership. The Rooneys were like NFL royalty. No other family stacks up to them. Having chance to play for them – in that city, with a Hall of Fame coach like Bill Cowher….I couldn’t say no.
I did’t understand the business side of the game and how it helped me too. The team always had so much invested in their linebackers and were always up to the cap in spending. Having a backup that was inexpensive – a guy like me – that was attractive to ownership as well I think.
What memories stand out most to you?
Some good, some bad, I was there when we transitioned from Three Rivers to Heinz Field. Playing on both fields was so unique. They brought back all of the legends from the 70’s – meeting Franco, Joe Greene – seeing the way the city embraced them was so unique – it was an amazing thing to see.
Of course it was double-edged sword. When I played in Wisconsin everyone – the fans – they were so nice. They just loved to watch football. That wasn’t always the same in Pittsburgh, That year Kordell wasn’t playing well. That was the first time I played on my home field and saw my own teammate get booed. They booed Kordell the moment he stepped on to the field – I never saw anything like it. That was a unique experience for me.
The talent there was so unique. Jerome Bettis was a wonderful person – a great personality. But the misconception about Bettis was that he was a power back. He was a powerful runner but he had such quick feet and speed. He used his feet first to avoid guys – then he’d finish off runs too. But he didn’t put his head down and barrel over people often.
Hines Ward – I remember when we played the Jets and Victor Green’s wife came to the bus and yelled at Hines Ward for the way he blocked him all game. He should go down as the best blocking wide receiver in NFL: history – I never saw anything like him.
And I was there at the end of Dermontti Dawson’s career. He was the most athletic offensive lineman I ever saw, and I came from a school that only produced offensive linemen! And he was in his what – twelfth or thirteenth season then?
How about the coaches?
One thing that people miss is that Cowher was a special teams coach – and that makes a big difference I believe. Special teams coaches are so focused on details and communication. I think they make for better head coaches and I’m surprised more special teams coaches don’t become head coaches in the NFL. Their focus on details and ability to communicate across positions and hold everyone accountable is so important – and Cowher’s skills there were shocking.
What happened after that 2000 season?
I was always a realist. I played as hard as I could for as long as I could and I made it past the final cuts of training camp actually. But that was the year they drafted Kendrell Bell and he was such a unique specimen. He played in junior college and only had one season at Georgia – it took him some time to learn the system 0 he struggled early on. But as an athlete he was amazing – and one of the hardest hitters I ever saw.
When I was let go I understood – I was picked up quickly though by the Colts. I enjoyed that experience and Jim Mora’s “Playoffs! Playoffs!” rant. He was the worst coach I ever played for – I played for a number of Hall of Fame coaches so it was shocking to me. It was a good lesson on what not to do as a leader.
How so?
Just strategically. One example was – I think this was Manning’s second or third season – we were halfway through practice if not more and he was upset at something so he had Manning and the team start practice all over again. That was a millions-of-dollars arm he was playing with – and that Sunday Manning threw four interceptions.
But the next season there they hired Tony Dungy and he was simply the best man I ever met. He made me a better person. God, family, then football. I always respected that.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
