pittsburghsportsdailybulletin – Page 81 – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

Exclusive with Former Ravens Offensive Lineman Ed Mulitalo

First, let’s talk about your coaching career – how did you get started?

I’m now in my third year as a head coach at a division III school – Southern Virginia University. I’m really enjoying it. I started off as the defensive line coach, then the defensive coordinator and now the head coach. It wasn’t exactly the way I thought my coaching career would go but It’s been rewarding and very exciting.

After I retired in 2009, I got into high school coaching and dabbled in volunteer coaching for other schools. I moved my family to Samoa after that and went off the grid for a few years before coming coming back in 2015. I looked for a coaching job and helped out at Southern Utah with Ed Mann. I worked with him for one year then he went to BYU and I went to Southern Virginia.

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Exclusive with Steelers Running Back Jack Deloplaine, 1976-1979

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

Well I stayed in Pittsburgh and ended up working in the penitentiary after I was cut again and couldn’t make a team. At first I worked in construction and did a lot of projects – like the Greentree Mall. But the Winters were pretty lean – in January and February especially they’d lay me off as I was still one of the younger guys there.

A friend of mine told me I should work at the penitentiary so I applied there and ended up working there for 21 years. When it closed down I retired. My wife worked at Allegheny General and we didn’t want to move and I didn’t want to drive to the other penitentiaries they offered me jobs to work at as they were too far away. We had two boys and my work made it easy for me to be around them and be there for my kids. I even coached football at North Catholic for a couple of years.

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Exclusive with Mike Mortaitis of The Titans Wire

So – what’s behind the big start for the Titans – what’s been the biggest factor driving the success of the team?

First you have to say Ryan Tannehill. He’s proven that last year wasn’t a fluke. He’s playing at an MVP caliber right now – he’s the biggest reason they are 5-0.

Of course Derrick Henry too – he had a huge game last week with over 200 yards rushing and took over. But Tannehill is on the top of the list.

What’s changed for him?

It’s a better system for him. It’s a run-first offense. They throw quite a bit but it fits into his strengths, with play-action to Henry. The system has elevated his game – it’s just been a great fit for him.

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Exclusive with Hall of Fame Sportswriter Vito Stellino

So what are you doing now – projects etc.?

Now I have my own blog at https://vitostellino.com/ I occasionally write about whatever interests me – no regular schedule. And during the season I’ll write about my observations before and after games. I still stay involved.

Tony Dungy bemoaned writers not getting the chance to sit down with players anymore and to get to know them -do you agree?

There’s so much more media now. Now it’s all about press conferences. There’s no chance for one-on-one with players. We used to be able to go into the locker rooms and get to know players and talk to them one-on-one. Now key players are held back for press conferences. It’s hard to do any follow-up questions. That’s the biggest change. It’s more difficult to do your job.

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Exclusive with Former Bengals Quarterback and Steelers Quarterback Coach (2007-2009) Ken Anderson

First, tell me a bit about what you’ve been up to since your time in the NFL – including your Ken Anderson Foundation?

Well, the foundation started about six-to-seven years ago to help adults with Autism. I have a nephew who has autism and he needs care 24/7. So as I was working on going through all the things that it takes to provide that care, for people with Autism, I got a call from the Mayor of Cincinnati who told me about another group that was doing a similar thing for people with Down Syndrome. So we merged and formed the Ken Anderson Alliance.

Now we do over 20 programs a month for over 200 adults – from hockey games and Reds games to dinners and going to the mall.

We also have an aquaponics project where we grow leafy vegetables and have eight people working there, and own three acres where we are building an inclusive community that’s a safe and secure environment for them.

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Exclusive with Former Oilers/Titans Running Back Eddie George

First, can you let us know what you’re doing with yourself now?

Well, the first thing is that I work in wealth management – I’m fully licensed with for over four years now working with athletes, corporations and banks – helping people manage their wealth.

I’ve also been acting. On stage, I’ve been acting live and in front of a camera now for some time. I’ve done Chicago the Musical, Othello and other plays – a lot of Shakespeare – and have been on shows like CSI LA and Ballers.

So, I’ve been dividing my time between being a husband and father and those other things as well.

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Exclusive with Jeff Risdon of the Browns Wire

First, Cleveland has had it’s best start in years – what’s behind the turnaround most from your standpoint?

They have been playing much better now. They had the talent last year too, but this year the whole is greater than the sum of their parts and they have some great parts. A lot of credit goes to Stefanski and the team culture he’s created. Players are buying into it.

The stars – Baker, Myles, Ward, Landry and OBJ – they are focused on the team. They aren’t looking ahead – they didn’t look past the Colts even though they had the Steelers up next. They took care of business.

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Exclusive: Troy Witt, Director of Marketing, PLB Sports & Entertainment

First, tell me how you and the company got started in this business!

It started with my boss, CEO Ty Ballou – he had an extensive career in the food industry – first with Jolly Rancher as an executive then took over Clark Candy, if you remember who they were. After the Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cups in the 90’s the got permission to license the Penguins logo on on the candy bars and they sold like crazy.

After that, he saw he was on to something and launched a peanut butter brand with Jaromir Jagr and that sold well. After that he launched Geronimo Salsa and worked with Mario Lemieux on some things.

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Exclusive with Former Browns Safety Earl Little

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

Really, just raising my kids. I have two older daughters and a son – so just being a father.

How difficult was the post-NFL adjustment for you?

There are some gray areas. No bad thoughts or anything but I’m dealing with some concussion issues I can; get much into. My family keeps me going – I don’t have any big plans but I’m happy with my family life now.

I was born and raised in the inner city of Miami – it was one of the roughest neighborhoods in the country. I had two brothers who were in and out of jail and watched aunts and uncles shooting drugs. Literally watching them. I’m not trying to say it was brutal, but I saw things a kid shouldn’t have to see in my own family. Those things helped me to say I would mold myself into a better person than what I saw. I had cousins in the NFL Hall of Fame – it was a sports family. And in our neighborhood – that’s what you had- sports and family. There were good things there too – it takes a village to raise kids in that environment and I had that for me. I guess the bad stuff gets the glory when people talk about the inner city but there was good there too.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Jordan Todman, 2015

First – let me know what you’re doing with yourself now?

Now, I’m taking time off, trying to give back by training kids – helping them improve their football skills. People in the neighborhood asked me for help, so I work with them on seven-on-sevens , that sort of thing. I also got involved in the insurance world, selling insurance.

So insurance and training. Unless a phone call happens to come, I’m done with football. I put in seven years – I still feel like I have something left but I can only control what I can control and I’m happy with what I’m doing.

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