First off, can you let us know what you’ve been up to since your playing days?
When my career was over I still felt like I could contribute to the game and help others. I wanted to be a mentor for others and help them reach their goals to play in the NFL. That has always been my mission – to help guys make it to the league. So I’ve been training young players now.
What do you focus on most with them, do you find?
I teach them that it’s all about choices. I did way too much partying when I played and you can’t do that if you want to be a top-tier athlete. I see kids today allowing social media to raise them and see them doing too much partying. That will catch up to you. It’s my job to teach them that.
When I was done playing in the CFL I called my Junior College coach at Grossmont College and he hired me. That got my coaching work started.
Who were some of the coaches who helped mentor you as a player and how did you adapt your coaching style to what it is now?
Jeff Tedford – he taught me so much – I owe him the world. He couldn’t coach the bowl game this year because of his heart issues – I told him we didn’t want him to pass out on the field! But he taught me so many lessons at Oregon.
I got into trouble as a Junior – he jumped all over that. He had me come in at 6 am to run and do drills. He mentored me. I finally let my guard down and let him help me.
Did anyone help you in Cincinnati?
Not really in Cincinnati. Marvin Lewis was terrific though – we have a lot of us former Bengals in a text group and we talk about him a lot. He deserves a lot more credit for what he was able to do there. He brought in that Ravens philosophy there.
A lot of fans may not know – especially Pittsburgh fans – that you were actually drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1993, well before your football career began. Why did you end up choosing football?
I was there for two-and-a-half years. But baseball was my dad’s dream – not mine. He was drafted in the 33rd round by the Angels. But he ended up going to jail for three-and-a-half years. When he got out he pushed me to play baseball, but that wasn’t my dream.
I couldn’t hit a curve ball anyway! Tony Gwynn used to say that you had to see the dot on the ball to hit a curveball, and I never saw that dot!
How did playing baseball help you as a football player, if at all?
When I was drafted I was 17 – I had just graduated from Lincoln High School. At 17 you get shipped to Bradenton and you’re on your own. That helped me to mature – being on your own and finding your way. That was helpful when I got to the NFL and knew how to take care of myself.
What stood out to you about the Pirates organization then?
They developed a lot of good players then – Van Slyke, Bonds, Bonilla… They did an excellent job developing those guys. We played Spades every day and just sat around and talked about life. You weren’t allowed to leave the Bradenton facility then so we all hung out together.
What was your first experience with that Steelers rivalry – what do you remember?
The hatred and the history of it. When I was drafted by the Bengals they taught me quickly about their dislike of the Steelers. Those were black and blue battles. The division was different then but the Bengals and Steelers were always rivals.
At the time I remember watching Corey Dillon have at it on the field and Willie Anderson, Spikes, and those guys playing so hard. But for some reason we always fell apart at the end of the game and lost in the fourth quarter. They were usually close games though.
The biggest memory was getting sacked by my friend Joey Porter and having him talk at me! He’d tell me “Akili, don’t bring your ass here!”
I also remember Levon Kirkland in the middle of the field – just how he could move that fast for a guy his size.
What do you think of the quarterback position today and how it and the game has changed?
Oh I’d have a ball playing in this day and age. Many of us were ahead of our time – they had nothing then like the RPO’s they have now. I talk to Tony Banks and Quincy Carter about that – we all wish we could play today. There’s no doubt we would have been better players if they didn’t look to convert us into pocket passers instead of letting us play to our strengths.
What do you think held you and your team back then?
At some point the guys on the team have to take control of the locker room, and we didn’t have those guys. When we needed it we got way too much finger-pointing that took place.
Today a bunch of us on the group text watch the games – me, TJ Houshmanzadeh, Chad Johnson – we’re still relieving those memories!