Author: pittsburghsportsdailybulletin

First, tell me what drove your decision to retire this season?

Well, I have spent a lot of time in this business. It’s been a long journey. People told me I would know when it was time to retire and I just knew it was time this year.

What made you decide to take a job in 2004 with the Steelers as a coach in 2004 – and what were they looking for from you?

I worked with Dan Reeves in previous years in New York then in Atlanta. Dan was getting out of coaching and he and Coach Cowher were friends. He called Coach Cowher and recommended me, and Cowher hired me after that.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Tight End Coach James Daniel, 2004-2020”

First, how do you feel the season went for you?

I think it was pretty successful in that we were able to bring some joy back to the city, and I was able to bond and be a part of the brotherhood with the guys in the locker room.

When the season started, it looked like nothing would happen. We all put blinders on to stay focused. Everybody stepped up and answered the call when needed, Unfortunately there is just one winner in the end. We were all disappointed losing to Cleveland – people lost jobs and people will leave in feee agency which is tough. But that’s part of the business.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Linebacker Jayrone Elliott”

First, tell me what you’re doing with yourself now?

I’m retired now. I was running digital media at the University of Georgia for a while after Pittsburgh, but now I’m just relaxing and chilling here in Athens.

I know you worked with the Buffalo Bills before working with the Steelers. What made you decide to work for the Steelers – how did that come about?

I was working in Buffalo handling their video and scoreboard production. And like anything else, it’s a business and we have our own conferences. I met Jimmy Rooney and John Wodarek – the Steelers marketing guy – at one of those events. Jimmy was there selling a product he had at the time – we actually bought it.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Rick Fairbend, Steelers Executive Producer of Broadcasting, 2001-2014”

First,  tell me how the exit interview went – did they give you ay sense on what they are looking for from you next season?

I think it went well. I’m just looking forward to finishing what I started this year.

Coach T. – he just told me to come back in two months and we’ll talk then about what I can do on offense and that sort of thing. Right now he just wanted me to take a breath and take my mind off football for a bit. To rest my mind.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Wide Receiver/Return Specialist Ray-Ray McCloud”

First, how surreal is it to have come so far and now be one game from a Super Bowl – especially being such a big part of the success of the team?

It’s a super-exciting feeling. This is where we expected to be and why I decided to sign here.

This was the expectation they had for us starting off. They were very upfront with me on my role. They have a young group of defensive backs that are playing very well. They told me they liked these guys but that they had few veterans defensive backs on the roster. So they signed me to the practice squad to allow me to grow with those guys and go from there.

Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Cornerback Ross Cockrell, 2015-2016”

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

Currently, I’m a substitute teacher as well as a high school football coach for Linfield High School. I also coached my son’s little league football team. He asked if he could play football and I said yes, but only if I coached him. I wanted to make sure he learned correctly – the right way.

Any of the coaches you played under help shape the way you coach today?

It’s funny you should ask – Lou Holtz, not that I’m as good of a coach as he was. He helped me as far as doing the right thing on the field – everyone knowing their responsibilities and having the right discipline.

Also, as funny as it may sound, my coach when I was eight years old. He helped show me the fundamentals you need to play the game too. Both were good – both did that for me.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Safety Travis Davis, 1999”

First, let me know what you’re up to now?

I moved to Atlanta – I stopped playing football last year after I had to have my third surgery on my pec. They messed the first one up.

I helped a high school coach here for a while then talked to someone at Penske about working for them. I knew I’d be good at that – I was always a good communicator – people told me I interviewed well with teams. So it was something I thought I’d be good at.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Keith Kelsey, 2017-2019”

First, can you let me know what’s next for you and what you’re doing now?

Well, I’m semi-retired. I’ve taken on coaching consulting roles – New England last year, but Bill was only bringing essential personnel back this year. I was working with Iowa for the two years before that.

I was going to coach my kid’s high school team but that’s been pushed back, so now I’m just sitting on my hands waiting.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Special Teams Coach Kevin Spencer, 2002-2006”

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

Well, I’m working with a home health company – doing hospice and home health care in Waco. I got into that after working at another job after I was done with football. I was doing shift work for Mars and that was working days and nights. I had just gotten married the year before that – my last season in Pittsburgh – and my wife was pregnant. So I knew I needed steady work. The shift work was hard – it didn’t let me be the dad I wanted to be.

So my mother-in-law was good friends with the owner of this business and they needed someone in this region who had my skillset. So it was a good fit.

Was the post-NFL adjustment difficult for you? 

I wouldn’t say it was necessarily difficult. It was difficult I guess not being around the locker room and that team environment – with guys from all over the U.S. Football was the common denominator for all of us and it was good being around a lot of people from different backgrounds. That’s the difficult part you miss.

Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Tight End Jamie McCoy, 2011-2013”

First – what have you been doing since you retired from the Steelers in 2017?

Shoot, I’ve been trying to stay busy the best I can. Ain’t easy but trying to do it!

I don’t watch football now but I do look at the scores and sometimes if a Steelers game is on I’ll peak. My son is a coach with the Redskins so I’ll look at those scores too.

I wasn’t ready to stop coaching, but I felt like I’d been doing it a long time. I told myself I’d stop at 70. I wasn’t ready, but it was time.

Was it a hard adjustment?

The game and philosophy behind it were starting to annoy me. The younger coaches, they were different than us old school coaches. They were more interested in outsmarting guys than teaching the fundamentals and techniques. It used to be about showing guys how to do things, now it’s just about trying to be smarter than other guys.

I was disappointed in my last year. I thought we’d win a Super Bowl that last year. I know we had the team – we were 13-3. I was kind of star-struck when we lost. I guess it wasn’t meant to be.

Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Wide Receivers Coach Richard Mann, 2013-2017”