First, what have you been up to since your time playing for the Bengals?
I took part in a coaching fellowship in New England under Pete Carroll. I did a little bit of coaching there then left and came back home to Louisiana. I got a call from Mike Ditka afterwards and he asked me to come in and work some with the Saints tight ends. I did that for a while then was hired as their position coach.
I went back after that to Cincinnati as their assistant strength coach – but when Marvin Lewis came in he overhauled the program. I was finishing my degree in the offseason anyway so I just ended up completing that.
I was working on my degree at Southeastern University, so while I was there I did a bit of coaching. But I caught the eye of the regional manager at Walmart – I got my degree in supply chain management and started working there. The next thing I knew I was offered stock options and was managing many of Walmart’s distribution centers.
Did you want to coach as well?
I did look into coaching again. I went to the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine games to see if there was any coaching interest there. I had one more year of coaching I needed in order to get my coaching pension, but there just wasn’t enough interest.
How was the post-NFL adjustment for you?
It wasn’t too bad. It’s funny, I caught myself early-on waking up at 6:45, getting ready to hit the soaking tub and to work out before I reminded myself I wasn’t playing any more!
I took classes to transition from football to normal life. I never lived beyond my means – it was ok for me.
Getting into the Steelers-Bengals rivalry, you guys had some success against those Steelers teams. Why was that?
The Steelers were a team to be measured by. We played them twice a year – they were a conference team – and they led the league in Super Bowl wins. If you can’t get up for that then who else can you get excited to play against?
We did have some success against them – we beat them even in those Super Bowl seasons. Forrest Gregg would always announce those weeks as “Steelers week!” They were tough, physical games.
Did you prepare differently at all?
Lindy Infante – he didn’t have us do anything different. We had our gameplan, we just had to execute it. But it seemed like Pittsburgh knew every play we’d run. They seemed like they studied every thing we ever did.
When I played, it was different too. Running routes, there was more need to set guys up then there is today, I think. You had to be a good actor – to sell going one way and go the other. You couldn’t just run a route. I don’t think that happens as much today.
As for the Steelers, we just were prepared for them. They didn’t rub their wins in, and we didn’t either. If we beat them we beat them and held our heads high. And on the bus routes back home, it may have been a hostile environment, but the worst was that we may have gotten some middle fingers from fans. But it was always a feather in our cap when we won.
How did you prepare for those games?
I prepared the same as well. I used visualization techniques – I meditated on catching and blocking – watching myself catch and block. And I’d pray to the Lord that no one would get hurt and that I’d play to the best of my ability.
You were a good blocker as well as receiver – what made you such a good well-rounded player?
I took pride in my blocking and catching. I wasn’t selfish – I didn’t rant and rave like guys today when I didn’t have many passes to me. I wasn’t hostile if I didn’t catch enough passes. I just wanted four balls a game. If I got four balls, I’d be happy. I figured I could make the Pro Bowl with four catches a game.
We were a close team. I’d come out often on second and third downs. Some guys would get upset but I understood – I played special teams too so I got playing time. I had friends who only came in on third downs – if I played on third downs they wouldn’t have a job. Some say I didn’t have a killer instinct because of that – that I didn’t worry as much about those things – but that wasn’t true. I knew I could sleep at night doing the right thing for the team.
Who were some of the guys you remember facing the most in Pittsburgh?
A bunch of those guys… Ham and Cole early on – I got into a fight with Cole – I hit him on a block and he didn’t like it.
Merriweather and I came into the league together – then there was Hinkle, Lloyd, Everett..
There was a time when I was averaging two touchdowns a year versus the Steelers. I played against Dungy and he told me he was going to let me have some catches after that, but he was going to keep me out of the endzone!
Dennis Fitzgerald was the Steelers’ linebackers coach then. We knew each other – we came from the same hometown and a friend of mine was named after him. When I started having success against the Steelers he wouldn’t talk to me anymore. He told me that guys thought he was giving me plays! I understood of course but that was funny.
I also remember one game where Everett cut me below the knee and took me out of the game. He did the same thing to Woods earlier – I’m not sure what was going on with him in that game.
We had a fight too – Tim McGee was laid out and everyone was fighting right on over him as he was laid out.
Any guys you liked playing against most?
David Little – he would always joke with me and had that big smile when I’d run across the middle. And he’d know our plays when we lined up – we had a naked bootleg and he’d yell “Naked! Naked!” when we ran it. I joked with him that his coaches did their homework. How did they know?
Merriweather and Hinkle were always more quiet. Lloyd too. They took things more personally.
I remember one game too in Three Rivers. There was about two minutes left and I looked up in the top of the stands and saw guys fighting like there’s no tomorrow- really going at it. It looked dangerous – guys fighting in those top tiers made me nervous. Then I hear the coaches yelling at me as I’m looking up – “Keep your eyes on the game!”
How do you view the way the tight end position has now changed in the NFL?
It’s exciting for fans I know – the thing is, the accolades of them being the best isn’t fair to guys like me who played the position then – we blocked and caught passes. Now there’s little blocking. I blocked defensive linemen and linebackers – we had to block the cream of the crop then – Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, Clay Matthews, Chip Banks. Now, they’d look at you like you’re crazy if you asked them to do that.
Do you watch the NFL today – a fan of today’s Bengals?
When I was done playing I never watched football that much. Maybe the Super Bowl. But I hate watching the Super Bowl because they do that moment of silence to remember players who passed away and I hate to hear that stuff.
I played football – but I didn’t eat, drink, and sleep football like some guys. I never relied on football – I went to college with the idea I’d get a job – if I played football great but I was always prepared to do something else. Football – you’re always one injury away from being done too.
Any thoughts on today’s team?
It was a good rivalry then – I think it was more the Bengals just trying to play catch up until now.
They have a very good quarterback now – I got the chance to watch him play here. They just need to protect him. He’s a tough kid – he plays tough. The defense is getting better. But he fits the mold of a tough Ohio kid. A hard-working kid.
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