So, first, can you let us know what you are doing with yourself since the NFL?

I’m a speaker and an author – I wrote a book last May on the Millionaire Mindset and am now doing speaking engagements and am out selling my book. I moved back to Madison, Wisconsin and got my communications degree and am a consultant for the university as well. I teach my financial principles to the athletics department. I also do the Gridiron GQ podcast and another one to start soon interviewing athletes who are running their own companies. It’s very cool – it’s for young kids and older players – teaching them about leadership and marketing – helping them learn entrepreneurial skills. It’s got a great response!

I’m still a certified financial planner – I don’t practice but worked for Morgan Stanley or three-and-a-half years. It was a good time but it was too micro. I wanted to work on a macro scale and speak the financial gospel. With compliance, which is understandable in the industry, it didn’t allow me to move the way I wanted.

And, I am also still doing radio for ESPN in Madison covering college football and interviewing former Wisconsin players.

So, skipping around to your travels to Pittsburgh. How did you find your way to Pittsburgh in free agency?

In 2008, I played for half a year but was out of football the rest of the year. I switched agents and was in transition. I had a few teams interested and like the Steelers – I liked what Tomlin was doing with the team. I thought there was an opportunity – Santonio and Hines were the main two guys and Hines was on his way out. Limus Sweed was there and some other guys – I thought it gave me a real shot. It was a great opportunity. I had also never been to Pittsburgh. It was an awesome city – I never knew that. I didn’t know it rained more in Pittsburgh than in Seattle. Not more often, but more inches.

When you were in Pittsburgh, who helped you to adjust to the team?

It wasn’t one particular person. Ryan Clark – me and him had a fee scuffles in camp but we had trained together a couple of summers and were friends. I knew Santonio too from our Big Ten days.

The defensive players – they were the bread and butter of the team at the time. They were always cool. Polamalu, Farrior, they were great. Harrison, Deshea, Ike T….they were all good people.

In my short time there, it was the  best organization I played for, with their community outreach and the way they take care of their players…

What are some of the funnier memories you have of your time there?

The funniest thing I remember was the competition at the pool table. It was in the middle of the locker room. It wasn’t gambling – no money or anything. It was just about who was best and they played before and after practice. They were always going hard -pool and I think dominos. It wasn’t a gambling culture like other places I’ve been, but it was about who was beat.

Who really was the best?

Santonio was a beast. He was really good. Limus was decent too. But Santonio had his own stick and was very good.

So you’re in Pittsburgh but you didn’t stick around long – what happened?

In Spring I was playing my best ball. I was hungry – it was the best I had played. Tomlin pulled me aside and told me he didn’t know how I had gotten there but he was glad I was there. He said I was playing well. But I was injured in training camp – I strained my oblique. I was practicing blocking punts – which I never would have really done in a game. I never did it before and I reached out to block the punt and heard two pops. I was out for a week. As a free agent – I was just a guy – not a name. It gave other guys the opportunities and they capitalized on them.

And you decided to retire when you didn’t make the team?

I knew that was my last shot. That it was done. I had decided to retire if I didn’t make it and that’s what happened. In 2010 I officially retired and left the game. I went immediately into commentating. In 2013 I hit my stride in commentating. I had financial issues and bounced back – had kids and got married and stayed close to the game. My brother Art Powell plays for the Bills. I try to help and mentor him and give him my blessings as well.

I’m tired of all of the bankruptcy stories. From ten on up – you can’t wait until guys are twenty-two. Who listens to guy when he’s been given a million dollar check? It goes right over their head.

On your commentating career, you got started quickly. How did you do so?

I called up my old university and they put me in contact with the Big Ten radio producer who gave me an audition. I bombed it – I was terrible! But thirty days later I was accepted into the NFL broadcasting boot camp and the same producer was there, I don’t know what happened over those thirty days but he said I was exponentially better and gave me a shot.

What advice would you give younger players today?

I’d stress to them to build their team and build a great brand. A high school kid can build a massive brand  and carry it through the NFL. Improve your value off the field – you have to constantly put in the work – and you’ll see results. You have to build a team around you as well. I watched LeBron James since he was in high school – he was like a savant with his business strategy. He had a great team around him since he was a rookie.

No man is an island – I listen to a lot of speakers. You need a team.

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