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First, you’ve been bust since your time n the NFL. Tell me a bit about some of the things you’e bee involved in and how you got involved in them?

Well, I’m he head coach at Pinecrest Academy in Georgia. It’s a private school – Single A. And I’m having fun watching my kids grow. I have a daughter in college and a son in high school. It’s been busy and fun being a coach and a dad.

As a coach, anyone influence the way you’ve approached coaching? How so?

I always knew I wanted to coach. I was offered to stay on after year 12 with the Falcons as a coach but I felt I had more time left playing. And Cowher asked me if I wanted to coach after year 13 but I wanted to play still. Of course, that didn’t happen either. The idea of coaching kept pulling me back though.

Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Wide Receiver Terance Mathis, 2002”

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

Now, I’ve started a transportation company – shipping cars nationwide.  I oversee that. I also work with a gym in Columbus, Ohio that I own with a couple of buddies and have a couple of other small business ventures.

My real passion – I’m a big bowhunter and like to work on land management stuff too. I’m really into that – it’s a year-round hobby. Archery too.

I also work for Grosetti Performance – it’s an athletic training center where we train guys from the combine. I’m an offensive line specialist for NFL combine prep. I started doing that last year. It’s my way to keep my football fix going.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Offensive Lineman Mike Adams, 2012-2105”

OK – so tell me a bit about your dad – how did he find out he got drafted by the Steelers?

The day of the draft was my dad’s 21st birthday – in 1955. They did the first two rounds on his birthday and the remaining upteen rounds then afterwards. There wasn’t any draft hoopla then like there is now. He got a call a day or two after the draft – he didn’t even know then he was on the Steelers’ radar. He thought he was going to the Bears or the Rams – his older brother played for the Bears in 1950. He was also being courted by the CFL which drove the prices for players up a bit.

Unfortunately he only played that one season in Pittsburg despite being the n umber five overall pick. What happened?

Back then the College All Star game was played in early August and he played in the game with the rest of the best Seniors then. They played the Cleveland Browns who were the NFL champions – and he dislocated his shoulder in the game making a tackle.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Doug Davis, Son of 1956 Steelers Running Back Art Davis”

So, first let me know how you got into video production and NFL  clock management?

I got started in 2005 when I took an intern position with the Steelers. As time went on the video production work across the NFL got bigger. I stayed on with the Steelers as a seasonal employee – all of us were considered seasonal – but the work grew into the offseason as well.

I worked on the television and internet content for the Steelers and that continued to grow. Then Bob McCartney, who was the head of video production, asked if I wanted to work on the other side of video – on football operations. I said yes, but I had on idea what I was doing. But I learned that job for a few yeas. It’s much more raw – you only shoot a couple of angles and it’s all very quick – you’re looking at film and getting cut-ups quickly to the coaches during games.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Ryan Rhoades, PSSI Game Clock Operator (2013 -Present) and Video Assistant (2005-2013)”

First, how are you managing right now amidst this craziness?

Well, I’m back home in Minnesota right now – the state is still on lockdown and it looks like it won’t open up until maybe around May 15. I’ve been working out – my fiance’ has a horse farm so I’ve been doing stuff on the farm staying in shape – and have some tires and dumbbells here as well. I’m getting some good work in so far.

You have a year in Pittsburgh under your belt – how does that help you going into this season?

Well my third year if you count my rookie year in Atlanta, but yeah, having that second year in Pittsburgh is huge. I know what Latrobe is like – I know the Indy drills, the playbook and calls. It’s a huge difference. I didn’t even know what Pittsburgh was like before – I thought it was a steel town and a big blue collar town.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Offensive Lineman J.C. Hassenauer”

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

Well after I was done with football, I finished my degree at UNLV – I accomplished that. Now I want to get my Masters and am also in the process of becoming a firefighter and becoming a paramedic and EMT. I started taking the tests and am doing well.

I also play rugby as a hobby. I keep in shape – that helps me stay competitive which is important to me. I work out four-to-five times a week.

That, and I’m raising my kids too!

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Frank Summers, 2009-2010”

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

Well I went to work as a safety director in Charleston. But they wanted to send me overseas and I was worried it was too close to the war, so I started working after that as the athletic director for Little League here instead -for ages six through 13.

Was it hard adjusting to post-NFL life?

To be honest I didn’t like football at all. So no. I had a gift for sports and I played most of them pretty well.  But I didn’t like the physicality of football. I didn’t want to go to college to play football but that’s how I got to college – that’s where life landed me.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Henry Odom, 1983”

First, how are you staying in shape and staying ready for the season?

Well, what I’ve been doing now- I’ve been treating it like my college Spring days. I’m working on my legs – a lot of squats – and just staying in shape. Staying at it.

Why did you decide to sign with the Steelers as an UDFA?

They have a good defense and tradition. I know a couple of guys that were there – Artie Burns and Devin Bush. Devin texted me a a short while ago just telling me what to expect. I’m excited to earn a spot on the team.

I also spoke with Xavier Rhodes how told me a lot about the NFL and what to expect as a pro too.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Cornerback James Pierre”

First, how are you handling getting ready for the season aright now considering the issues we’re all experiencing?

This past week things have sped up – I’ve just been working out and staying in shape. Now our Zoom meetings have started- Terry Cousins- the Directory of Player Development – he’s been letting us know what’s going going and what to expect. It’s so far really just been an orientation for the rookies so I’ve just been staying in shape waiting for camp.

What made you decide to sign with the Steelers?

First – really, it was an honor to have an opportunity to play at the highest level – let alone with an established organization like the Steelers. They have a great defense – that the coaches thought that highly of me to bring me in and to take a chance on me means a lot. They felt I had a chance to make the team with my style of play. I talked to my agent and the Steelers’ GM and we felt this was the best opportunity for me to make an NFL team.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Linebacker James Lockhart”