Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!
More than 1,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff, media and more with those that played in the 50’s through today’s current roster.
First, can you let readers know what you have been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?
I’ve been doing the same thing for a while in terms of businesses. I tried a couple of entrepreneurial opportunities. Some were successful, some haven’t been.
Overall, I’m just trying to look out for more entrepreneurial deals. I’m self-employed.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers NT Joel Steed, 1992-1999”
First, can you let us know what’s going on with you now? What are your next steps career-wise?
Well, I have nothing lined up at the moment. I’m not retired but can’t find a job right now. I want to work and keep coaching. I enjoy coaching and hope to get a job in football. I’m 79 years old and some see my age and it scares people. But the important thing is I’m in perfect health and can contribute somewhere. So, I hope someone will hire me.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Tom Moore, Steelers WR Coach/Offensive Coordinator, 1977-1989”
First, can you tell us a bit about what you did post-NFL?
It’s a long story. I spent about ten years playing football including four years in high school. I became partners with a friend of mine in Houston after the NFL and we built a hotel across from the medical center. It wasn’t a fancy high-rise, more like the kind you stay at when your own your way on a trip and need a place to stay for the night.
The hotel has a nightclub in it and we used to hire entertainment. We’d get complaints and the deputy would come out about the commotion but we were friends with those guys then. Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Safety Dicky Moegle, 1960”
First, let me know what drove you to this topic Rob.
Well, I finished a couple of books in 2010 and 2011 – a co-written biography of Dan Roooney and Raceball, about players and race in baseball. I needed a new book project – for me it was like not being able to run. Something was missing.
I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I’ve always been fascinated by micro-cultures in sports – ones that produce a disproportionate number of athletes. Like runners from Kenya, football players from Brazil… I knew there were a number of Polynesian players in the NFL and of course being from Pittsburgh I was always entranced by Troy Polamalu. His athleticism and intellectual approach to the game. And his wonderful demeanor off the field. Continue reading “Exclusive with Author Rob Ruck on his new book, The Tropic of Football: The Long and Perilous Journey of Samoans to the NFL”
First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?
Well, immediately after my football career I went into the medical device business. I’ve been in that for over twenty years – first as a salesman now as a sales manager and have worked for several companies in the medical device world.
Six years ago I started my own healthcare company and simultaneously got my securities license and work for a small broker-dealer firm in Dallas – a wealth management practice.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers C Chuck Lanza, 1988-1989”
First, can you tell us how the new website (WilliamsonFootball.com) is doing and what inspired you to launch it?
I was working for the Browns Ben’s rookie season – the year we drafted Winslow Jr. and Braylon Edwards. That was my first year in the league. Before that I spent the prior four years as a recruiter and scout for Pitt and Akron.
Well after the first year we all got let go in Cleveland. Dennis Green’s son Jeremy was the founder of Scouts Inc. and he brought me in. They did the insider NFL content for ESPN. I stayed there for ten years and got hooked on the media side. With young kids at home I could work from home – I didn’t have to worry about spending a hundred hours in an office. But ESPN let a lot of people go and I was one of those let go in the first wave. I bounced around – I wrote for over fifteen sites over the past three years. The I decided to launch my own site. It’s only been up for three months or so but it’s going well. I get to write what I want.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Matt Williamson of WilliamsonFootball.com”
First, can you let us know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?
Well, I just had my fifth child a couple of weeks ago so that’s basically been what I’ve been doing the past couple of weeks.
I’m living in Texas with my wife and kids. She’s from Houston so we’ve been living here since I retired in 2012 and taking care of the kids!
Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker James Farrior, 2002-2011”
First, can you let me know a little nit about what you’ve been doing since your time in the NFL?
Once I was done with the NFL I dedicated my life to being a single dad. After I retired I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to take time with her. In April I just got married. Family is very important to me…I have an eight-year old daughter and now a sixteen year-old stepdaughter.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Center Justin Hartwig, 2008-2009”
First, before we get started, tell me how the Steelers are coping dealing with the major distractions of Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger, and Le’Veon Bell not being there so far?
Ha. Well, I don’t want to say that the players don’t care, but the extent that it matters is very overstated. I did write a short while ago that Pouncey, who has the respect of his team, said he wants this team to be ready and expects the absences won’t matter much. I mean, Landry Jones’ cadence is different. The ball comes out differently – with less zip normally And it does lower the quality of the reps the defense faces.
But with guys like Antonio not being here – and Ben. You just saw McGee and Hawkins go down with horrific injuries and you start to understand why they don’t want to show up when there’s no obligation to.
Continue reading “Exclusive with PennLive Steelers Reporter Jacob Klinger on OTAs and more”
First, can you tell us a bit about coaching – why you decided to become a coach and what excites you about coaching?
I think it’s teaching – helping young people reach their goals and creating goals for them to reach. That’s always the most important part. I have lots to give young people with my years of experience. That’s why I went back to U Mass. I knew I could affect more people there.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers QB Coach Mark Whipple, 2004-2006”