Category: All Articles

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing since you’ve retired from the NFL and how you got started in these new ventures?  

After I retired I jumped right into coaching high school football and teaching physical education at Rock Bridge HS in Columbia, MO. I’ve been the Head Coach since the 2003 season. My son Alex just completed his senior season and signed to play collegiately at the University of Oregon

How did you prepare for life after the NFL and how hard was that adjustment for you?

Because I was an early entry into the draft (primarily due to a coaching change) I hadn’t completed my degree program when I left school. I committed to taking classes every off season. I got my degree prior to completing my playing career so I was in pretty good position to make a seamless transition into coaching/teaching which is what I always wanted to do long term

Continue reading “A.J. Ofodile, Steelers Tight End, 1995-1996”

First, can you let us know about your path to becoming a coach – how did you become QB coach of Steelers – who asked and how did it start?

Well, I spent sixteen years as a player. It was in my seventeenth year. I retired then went back to New York when I was 39. I was playing behind Joe Namath and he was doing pretty well physically – he was fit at that point. He was going to play the whole year so I retired.

They told me to go home – back then they could call you back from retirement, but that never happened. I didn’t care anyway, I had other businesses – a golf course and other things and was working at that.

So I took that year off. The next year I ran into Chuck Noll at the Super Bowl in Miami. Chuck asked me how it was going and I told him I wasn’t doing much. He said he wanted to talk to me and had me come to Pittsburgh. We watched film for three hours and he asked me what was wrong with his offense. I told him they didn’t throw enough short passes – they threw deep passes all of the time. After that he told me he wanted to hire me. I told him I could only do six months a year – I had to get back to my other things at home. He said that was fine, and he hired me.

Continue reading “Babe Parilli, Steelers Quarterback Coach, 1970-1973”

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing with yourself since the NFL?

Let’s see – after the Steelers, I played in Kansas City and Green Bay. I started a business with Reggie White in Green Bay –  a jersey store. I had that fir fifteen years. But I got sick and had a lot of medical bills. I had to sell the business.

What was the issue?

I had heart and other issues related to the NFL. So I floated around – coached Arena Football for a while and had the top rated defense there. I wanted to get into the NFL again but it’s hard to do that  when you’re part of the NFL concussion lawsuit. Back then, you really had to choose – either try to be a coach or scout – or be a part of the lawsuit. Who knew the lawsuit would take so long.

Continue reading “Sammy Walker, Steelers Cornerback, 1991-1992”

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing since you’ve retired from the NFL and how you got started in this venture?

I started working at an ad agency in 1985 and loved it. Thirty years later—the last 20 at Perich Advertising + Design in Ann Arbor—I’m still loving it.

I’d planned to go to law school and had never considered the ad business until my senior year at Michigan. A former Michigan athlete by the name of Pete Dow (he was president of a big ad agency in the area) came to Ann Arbor that winter and asked the coaches for the names of some athletes with pretty good grades. His thoughts were that someone getting A’s and B’s while also competing in major college athletics would be pretty well equipped to handle the unique demands of an advertising career. So I guess you could say advertising found me.

Continue reading “Craig Dunaway, Steelers Tight End, 1983”

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing since you’ve retired from the NFL and how you got started in these new ventures?

After I retired, I started working at a Steel Heat Treating Plant doing Maintenance/ Repair. The bills don’t stop when you retire and they were hiring.  I continued working there for two years.  I was then able to find an entry level Mechanical Engineering Position at Exel North America in Plymouth, MI.  I have been here for almost three years now and have steadily been promoted and enjoy the problem solving opportunities it brings.

Continue reading “Matt Lentz, Steelers Offensive Lineman, 2007-2008”

First, can you let readers know a bit about what you’ve been doing with yourself since your playing days?

Well, I did a lot of substitute teaching when I got out. But I wasn’t cut out to be a teacher. I didn’t have the patience. I was too used to knocking heads – it wasn’t for me. I liked to work with my hands and like to be outside. If I could I’d get up at eight and work in the yard all day.

I also tended bar after teaching for twelve or thirteen years at the Eagles Club in New Castle, PA.

Continue reading “Darrell Dess, Steelers Offensive Lineman, 1958”

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL, and how you got started?

Well, my first year I spent trying to decide if I still wanted to play. We just had our oldest daughter and I felt like my perspective had changed.  I felt bad – how could I be a dad if I traveled all over the place. So the first year was pretty much daddy day care, taking care of her. We just had our second girl last April – and my wife jump-started her career afterwards.

Now, I’m finishing my degree at Northwestern in Biomedical Engineering.

Continue reading “Trai Essex, Steelers Offensive Lineman, 2005-2011”

First, can you let readers know what you are doing with yourself since you’ve retired from the NFL, and how you got started doing so?

I retired after that tough playoff loss and starting working for Gannett. When I was thinking of retiring, I was very interested in the newspaper business and looked into that business. It was a 9-5 job – it sounded good! I went there and got some training. They created a new job for me – Carrier Recruitment Supervisor – in their circulation department. At the time we had 11,000 youth carriers in the Detroit area that distributed our newspaper. The biggest in the U.S. I was responsible for recruiting kids to do that. Well, I wasn’t going to stand on street corners recruiting kids. I talked to the people at work about going to the public schools and speaking to the kids there. They said yes after talking to their legal department, and I went and gave twenty minute speeches there telling them how they could be young merchants.

I was there for twenty-eight years. I went on disability at the end of my twenty-eight year – due to a wrist injury I had from football that I re-injured at work. They fused some bones and put a metal rod in…. Now, I’m doing a lot of signings….doing the circuit!

Continue reading “John “Frenchy” Fuqua, Steelers Running Back, 1970-1976″