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

Growing up, as a kid my parents worked a lot – I grew up with my grandmother. My uncle was Wes Chandler – he played over twelve years in the NFL. Football and sports were always big in my family. I was close with my coaches. By high school, I knew I wanted to be a college coach.  I knew I wanted to play football for the Florida Gators.  Now, just a couple of months ago, I was hired by Warner University to be their wide receivers coach.

What lessons and coaches have most influenced you now as a coach?

I learned a lot from it all. From Pop Warner, I learned the importance of being a role model in a kid’s life. Those coaches were like fathers to me. At the high school level, I learned that it was about more than football. I’d go to the coaches houses and play video games – just to get away from the pressure and my family. When I was a blue chip prospect I could get away from it all there.

In college, I learned about life lessons. To take care of your family. To be professional. In the NFL I learned you could be easily replaced. No matter how hard you worked you could get knocked down. Even great coaches got fired.

You were drafted by the Steelers in 2007. At that time they had guys like Ward, Holmes, Washington, and Wilson on the roster. How hard and frustrating was it for you to get your shot in camp and on game days?

I can honestly say it was somewhat my fault more than anything. I didn’t gel well with Pittsburgh, the opportunities were slim for me. Especially for a guy like me with confidence issues, to beat out a guy but not start was difficult. Other guys who made more money who were older, they were given more than one shot. With me I just felt like what was the point, I had such low confidence.

The team was very family-oriented, they would take care of their players. I tried to quit a few times when it would all get at me. I couldn’t deal with the pressure all on my shoulders. I felt like it was all against me. It wasn’t that I wasn’t good enough – I wasn’t bigger stronger or faster than other players, but I was smarter. I knew all the positions. My one Kryptonite was my confidence – it was the one thing that stopped me. But Coach Tomlin wouldn’t let me quit.

I walked away a few times in training camp, I told him I wanted to be a coach. He told me I had the ability and the only reason why I fell in the draft was because of my 40 time. He said my 40 time hurt me, but they knew I was a top wide receiver in my class and thought I was a steal. They wanted me to stay. He wouldn’t let me leave, he told me he believed in me. During my three years I tried to walk away, but God, the players and coaches wouldn’t let me. My last year, God had enough of me being ungrateful. I injured my shoulder. God was telling me to be patient at first, but I got cut and never played for them again. I had the ability, but God was tired of me being ungrateful. It was all in God’s hands – he taught me that I needed to be more grateful.

Who helped you to adjust to life in the NFL – and as a Steeler – and how did they do so? Any examples?

I was raised in the church to be humble. As a rookie, the veterans love humble guys. Hampton, Keisel, Farrior (I played with his brother in college), Townsend, Ike Taylor – they all helped me. I’d go to Ben’s (Roethlisberger’s) house and go on his go-carts and zipline. The coaches and players liked me and took care of me. I was like a little brother to them.

When my daughter was born, I remember we were playing Cleveland. I couldn’t decide whether I should go to the game or go be there for her birth. Coach Tomlin said this stuff happens, that I shouldn’t be down. They offered to send me home but I was worried that I would get cut. Troy Polamalu said that if I wanted to I could leave and he’d pay my salary if I got cut. Ben offered to call his jet and fly me down. I was just ungrateful and couldn’t see all of that. They tried to take care of me, I remember Troy Polamalu putting his arms around me, when I learned it was going to be a difficult birth.

2007 was the first season under new coach Mike Tomlin. How was the team adjusting to the new coach, from your perspective, and what were some of the biggest changes you saw him make?

The team adjusted well to him. We learned that he was a player-coach and he had a great relationship with the guys. He wasn’t old. He understood football and the business side of the game. It was a blessing being with the Steelers. I heard stories of how difficult the practices were, but we didn’t practice long. He would say we’d bring a lunch pail to work but he didn’t beat us up badly. He didn’t want to beat us up. We didn’t practice a  lot in full pads like other teams, sometimes just in jerseys. It helped us to stay fresh. We were an old team and we were winning, and he just wanted to take care of us. He taught us to work hard but work smart.

How much did humor play a part on those Steelers teams, and how so? Can you give a couple of examples of some funny things that occurred, on or off the field?

On some of the away games I would travel with the team when I was active. I remember Santonio Holmes, the day of our game versus the Redskins. It was an evening game. I couldn’t sleep, I was nervous all day. But Santonio was relaxed and would try to keep me relaxed by playing video games and music. He was studying plays but not a lot. I asked him about it and he said it’s just football. He then went on to have 140 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He barely studied, he was just playing video games, but he was relaxed and was trying to keep me relaxed too. It was all about comfort.

I remember when me, Hines and Limas Sweed, we would all roll up paper balls and shoot them in the trash for $50 a shot. Hines had endless money and it was just a way to help us relax. There was a lot of pressure. With Ben we’d shoot pool. For me, it was $20 a shot but for him it was $150. I couldn’t decide whether to play pool or study, for the $150!

You played on five teams cross three different leagues (NFL, CFL, Arena) over eights years of pro football so far. How did those leagues differ for you and what do you attribute your perseverance to?

It was due to my spiritual belief. God helped me. Our family was blessed. My little brother is probably going to play professional rugby. He’s on the US Olympic team. My uncle played over 12 years in the NFL. I had a cousin who made the Colts team in training camp, and another cousin who walked on at the University of Florida. My family is big sports-wise.

I always wanted to be a coach. It was a blessing to have access to all the different leagues. Not all coaches can play, and not all players can coach, but I felt like I could do both. Canada was different. I could take some things from that, and that helped me. When I played in the Arena League I took some things from that too. Having three leagues on my resume and all the friendships I made all helped me. And in the recruiting process. I see the blessing in it.

What advice would you give to players today entering the sport?

First of all, as a born-again Christian, keep God first. I grew up as a Christian, but I didn’t always live with God first, I didn’t always do the right things. But now I’m strong in my belief and I see how lucky I was, and how God has opened doors for me. Coach Urban Meyer came to my grandmother’s funeral. We shared the same spiritual belief – that’s how strong that connection is.

Secondly, get a good education. I got my degree when a lot of my friends left school early. Now they don’t know what to do with no degree. Use sports to your advantage. I used football to enable me to get a degree. You should use sports to get an education. Hines Ward always said to me: “The NFL stands for Not For Long.” He used to take me out and pay for everything – it was that Georgia-Florida tie. He said I was different as a rookie, I wasn’t conceited. I had no problem getting the donuts when they told us to. Some other guys thought I was a brown-noser, but I was just being humble. Like Hines Ward said, the NFL stands for Not for Long. It’s important to be humble.

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