First, can you let readers know what you are doing with yourself now?

Well, I’m training, and at the same time I’m sending out resumes to coaches – I want to be a coaching assistant for someone and learn  the business.

Any coaches and coaching lessons influence you the most?

I was coached by what I think were three Hall of Fame players – Rod Woodson in Oakland, Carnell Lake in Pittsburgh, and Al Harris in Kansas City. I took something from all three of them. They were all players first – and that player-coach mentality was good- it helps them show players what needs to be done on the field. They knew what to do – they’ve been there before.  They were also leaders – not just bosses.

How have you adjusted to life after the NFL? Have you taken advantage of the NFLPA programs?

I took advantage of them yes. Charlie Batch – I spoke to him earlier this year about opportunities. I’m also going to go out to LA for the All-Star game to watch the coaches – learn how they do things.

You were a great track athlete in college – why did you choose football over track?

I only did track because I was fast. I never wanted to do track before college – I played basketball and football. All of the sudden I became fast, so in college I just went for it. But football was my first love. I never took track seriously.

You were drafted by the Raiders in the third round in 2011 – were you surprised?

I was surprised – I thought I’d go in the fourth or fifth round. I was playing video games with my cousin and my phone was charging in the next room when it rang. I asked my cousin to pick it up – he said it had a 747 area code but he didn’t want to be the one to pick it up. So I ran into the room and got it. The Raiders Head Coach Hue Jackson called – he said the Raiders would be taking me with the next pick. I thought someone was crank-calling me – earlier my cousin called me from a different area code and said he was drafting me.

Did you ask Coach Jackson if he was crank-calling you?

I did – he said I should look at the area code – that this was for real. “It was me” he said!

After a year they released you – what happened – and were you surprised?

It took me by surprise yeah. I was there for a year when Hue Jackson was fired after an 8-8 season. The new coach cleaned house. As a young guy, you don’t expect that. Two days later Kevin Colbert called me and asked me to come in for a workout.

What did they tell you when they brought you in – why you?

I thought the Pittsburgh guys showed the most interest in me before the draft. At my Pro Day my mom, dad, and grandma all said they showed interest. Colbert said they were planning to take me in the third round but the Raiders took me two picks earlier. I guess it was God’s plan!

Who helped mentor you as a new Steeler – both on and off the field?

Going from Oakland to Pittsburgh was like going from high school to college. It was all professional for those guys. Clark and Polamalu – I looked up to them when I was in college. They showed me how to be a pro – to take care of my body and stay out of trouble. The Pittsburgh fans expect you to be a professional  – they don’t like players who get into trouble.

I remember when I downed the ball on the one-yard line after one of my first plays on special teams, as I ran off the field Brett Keisel said to me “You’re a Steeler now!”

I miss Pittsburgh. Playing pool….Me, Antonio Brown and Sean Spence – we all grew up in the same area. Antonio and I played ball together there. They were hilarious – Antonio had his own sense of humor. And Sean always had funny things to say too…

A little over a year later you were released by the Steelers. What happened and how hard was that for you?

I was injured in training camp. Colbert told me that they’d waive me with an injury settlement in week nine, and they did. They brought me back, but three weeks later we had three offensive linemen go down with injuries though, so they needed more linemen and needed to release me.

It was real hard leaving Pittsburgh. If they gave me a contract for $1 I would have signed it. I loved Pittsburgh on and off the field – I wanted to be there forever.

Any thoughts for younger players entering the game today?

Special teams is the key. You have to take care of your body. It’s a different mindset for special teams – beating double teams as the gunner… The NFL will give you a chance – you just have to make plays.

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