First, let me know what you’ve been doing since your time in the NFL?
Well right now I’m doing the pregame show for the Browns TV network, We do an hour-and-a-half live show from the field on gamedays and in the studio for away games.
I’ve also been a real estate broker in the Cleveland area for 16 years and love it. And, I’m affiliated with the JACK Casino here in Cleveland as well.
Was the post-NFL adjustment difficult?
It hasn’t been tough really. All NFL players should know you have to give it up eventually – it doesn’t last a lifetime. It’s not forever. The average playing time is four years – I played nine years and knew while I played that I wanted to jump into real estate when I was done. That and radio and TV.
You and Frank Minnifield were the ones that started the “Dog Pound” phenomenon in Cleveland. How did that get started?
It’s kind of weird. We always had Pro Bowl players on defense – – Pro Bowl cornerbacks, linebackers like Matthews and Banks. But not with the pass rushers. I was a Southern guy and always thought about how dogs chase cats. We were at Lakeland College and I started telling our defensive linemen there to think of the quarterbacks as cats and themselves as the dogs when we barked at them. The dogs were really supposed to be the defensive linemen. But all the fans got excited and thought it was for our whole defense. I’m surprised that it lasted this long!
As a rookie, how did you handle those rivalry games?
Back then, the AFC Central was Pittsburgh, us, the Bengals and Houston. One thing I was made aware of early as a rookie was the intensity of those rivalries. How tough and physical they were – especially the Steelers games. The cities were so close and the fans were so similar and were passionate about their teams, and that carried its way on to the field. I remember watching Lambert hit Brian Sipe when I was a rookie and thinking “Oh wow – this is for real!” We always wanted to hurt each other and knock each other out of the game, but wanted them to come back and play next week. We didn’t want to end careers.
We knew you had to play within the rules of the game. You didn’t want to do things that would cost your team games. You have to keep yourself in check.
How were you so successful against those Steelers wideouts?
I knew every week we were going up against two Pro Bowl wide receivers and Terry Bradshaw at quarterback. I had to grow up real fast as a rookie. I knew if I didn’t play well they’d take advantage of me. I knew I could play – I studied as much as I could on those guys and knew that I would lose some battles but had to win more than I lost.
What made you so good?
It was preparation. I loved to study film and learn what they were going to try to do to me and how they were trying to disguise things. I learned how they would try and attack me.
When I played bump and run, I had success tying up the receivers. Once the quarterback looks over and sees the receiver tied up, they have to look the other way for their secondary options. That’s the mistake I see with players now. They line up in a bump and run stance and then don’t – it’s like they are doing bump and run but it ends up being an open and run. When you do that, as fast as receivers are, it just opens you up to different routes. As a cornerback you want to limit the number of routes a receiver can run and lining up in that stance but not doing it does the opposite.
What did you try to do specifically to help you against the Steelers receivers?
I loved to talk a lot – to get in receivers heads. I talk about their mama, wife, dad – nothing was off limits! Stallworth – I give him a lot of credit. I told him after we retired that I tried so hard but he never said a word back to me. I told him I tried to mess with him, but it ended up messing with my head instead. That just shows you what kind of person he is. He’s a quality human being – a great wide receiver but a better guy.
Any memories stand out to you most from those Steelers games?
When we beat them 51-0 – that was a good game! And when I picked off three Bradshaw passes – two later on in the game when they were trying to come back.
What do you think of the rivalry today between the Browns and Steelers?
I think the rivalry has finally come back. It wasn’t pretty when the Steelers were pretty much beating up on us. Now it’s starting to come back and Cleveland is starting to look like a football team. They just have to execute better on the field. It’s not a disciplined team – way too many penalties and turnovers. With the talent they have they should be winning more games. Hopefully Baker gets back to the way he was playing at the end of last year. If so we’ll win some more games.
What’s behind the discipline issues, do you think?
It’s not on the coaches – I think it’s on the players. You know the rules. It’s not like they just put some new rules in. You cant do what you’re not supposed to do. Of course you’ll have some penalties, but you can’t be top five in the league. That’s insane. That turns into losses and hurts the team.
What can they do then about those discipline issues?
It’s up to each guy. They have to take it upon themselves – to look in the mirror and figure out what each one of them has to do to help them win more games. To stop the penalties. You just can’t commit that many penalties and mistakes and win games.
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