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Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Pete Brewster, 1959-1960

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

When I quit I did a couple of things. I got into the construction business – pouring concrete for basement walls and that sort of things here in Missouri. I mixed that in with a little fun. I have an RV as do my two daughters and we often go RV’ing locally here in Missouri – out to Branson or the state parks.

Was that post-NFL adjustment difficult for you?

No because during the offseason I worked down in Florida. We had a home in Ft. Lauderdale and my brother-in-law built homes there. So I worked for him in the offseason. I couldn’t justify just sitting around all Winter. We didn’t make much money then anyhow.

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Exclusive with former Bengals Offensive Lineman and Bengals Broadcaster Dave Lapham

First, tell me about your media career and how that got started?

Well, went I went to Syracuse I started off as a pre-law major, but I decided I didn’t like the law books and studying law. I was playing football and thought that if I didn’t get into coaching maybe broadcasting would be a direction to go. I got my degree in PR and communications at the Newhouse School at Syracuse after that.

After that I tried to understand more about the business and did substituted some for Bengals radio during the week. Paul Brown after I retired asked if I wanted to color for their radio broadcasts so I interviewed and got the job.

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Exclusive with Tim Rooney, Director of Pro Personnel for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1972-1979

First, let me know what you have been doing since your football days?

I’m fully retired. We go to Florida in the Winter usually. But outside of that I’m just here with my grandkids. I like to golf, Swim, and my wife and I go on walks. We like to travel usually one or two times a year and see our son in New Jersey, but of course now we’re grounded.

I had three successive back surgeries a few years ago and that set me back a year, but I can walk, golf – I can still do those things now.

As a kid, what memories of your time with the Steelers stand out to you most?

My father worked in the ticket office so we would be very actively involved with the team – we’d g to games, and when I was a Sophomore in high school – around 1955, when the team trained at St. Bonaventure – I would go work at training camp. I was one of the camp boys – I’d do whatever they needed me to do there and on Sunday I’d work as a waterboy.

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Exclusive: John Boccacino of Buffalo Rumblings

First, you’ve been winning a lot of close games this season against good teams – what’s been that big difference for you guys this year?

I just think it’s all about Josh Allen. He was the most scrutinized and criticized Buffalo player going into this year. Was he good enough was the question. A lot of the time he carried the day last year but then he’d make a bonehead play – like that reckless backward pass in the playoffs. But then he’d come back and make a great pass to John Brown. He was just too up and down.

So what’s changed?

This year his mechanics have changed – he worked hard in the offseason with quarterback guru Jordan Palmer. Palmer filmed him in 15 different camera angles to look at his mechanics and learned that Josh Allen wasn’t using his hips properly when he threw the ball – his shoulders and arms beat his hips when he released the ball which accounted for many of the poor and under-thrown passes.

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Exclusive with Inaugural NFL Hall of Fan member Rick Holman

First, tell me about how the nomination into the Ford Fan Hall of Fame got started?

Well, before the last home game in 2012, I got an email from Steelers Nation Unite telling me that I was one of 12 people to have attended every game that year. You had to check in with the Steelers app – like an “I’m here” thing, and they can track to see you went to the games.

Well, I had pneumonia but I had to go. They wanted us to go down on the field for a drawing -one of us would win a trip to the Super Bowl. I was sick – I wasn’t supposed to go out for more than 30 minutes, but I had a streak of 17 years – never missing a preseason, regular season or playoff game at Heinz Field. It was at 183 games. The last game I missed was at Three Rivers.

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Exclusive with former Steelers Safety Cornell Gowdy, 1987-1988

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

Well, I’m currently the sale manager for a Toyota dealership. I’ve been doing that for four years now. I’m hoping to get back to the NFL as a scout. I did that for 15 years or so. I spoke with my former GM in New Orleans who was associated with the AAF now, but they were still figuring out their scouting process.

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Exclusive with Steelers Offensive Lineman Cody Wallace, 2013-2016

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

Well, I partnered with my brother-in-law to start up a termite inspection company in California. It was a funny thing to jump into I know. It’s what my brother-in-law was doing for the last 15 years but was working for someone else and wanted to be a manger. We were chatting about what to do next after my knee wasn’t healing well enough after my injury for me to play again. We opened our doors last August and we now have 15 guys working for us already.

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Exclusive with Pittsburgh Artist Cody Sabol

First, can you tell us how you got started in speed painting and what exactly speed painting is?

I started in college. I played football in college and was looking for other things to do besides playing football and studying in a small school town in Kentucky. Drawing was always a hobby for me. I started hanging out with some local musicians and painted while they did their thing. It turned into speed painting – it just became this weird thing. It was like a performance art thing keeping up with them.

Over time, it took off. I saw speed painting before but I never thought to do it myself. I looked it up on Youtube to learn how, like everyone does these days. I worked at it every day – it was a natural growth. I got better at it over time and found my own style.

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Exclusive with Aaron Lesher of Hogs Haven

First, coming off a couple of wins, well-rested and Alex Smith playing good football, you feel good about Monday’s game – especially with the Steelers being less rested?

The rest is a good thing but I think it would be much different if the game were being played Sunday instead of Monday. I watched the Baltimore game Wednesday – I think the score made the game look closer than it was.

Pittsburgh is coached extremely well – they are a lot more talented than Washington in just about every area. So while the rest is one area you can look at and draw a conclusion that it’s a big advantage for Washington, I think the pedigree and leadership in Pittsburgh makes it less of a difference-maker. I would like to think it would – maybe if it were the Lions – but not with the Steelers. They do things right – Tomlin will have them ready for Washington.

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Exclusive with former Steelers Defensive Back Jason Simmons, 1998-2001

First, you’ve been the defensive backs coach for Green Bay for a number of years now. Can you tell us how you got started there?

I played for Dom Capers in Houston and he told me then I should coach when I was done playing. After I retired I took a couple of years off then in 2011 I took advantage of an internship opportunity at Green Bay, The next year a new entry level position opened up and I got my feet wet there.

Now, I’m at Carolina, coaching their secondary.

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