First, can you let me know how you got into coaching?
That’s a good question. My biggest mentors have always been coaches. I grew up going to the Boys & Girls Club as a kid. My parents had me when they were 18, so the Boy’s Club was like a second home for me. I was involved in sports since first grade – those coaches had a big impact on me.
After college I didn’t know know what I would do with my life. I was good at math but didn’t see myself sitting behind a desk as an accountant or something. I’m more of a people-person. I asked my coaches about what I could do and they thought I would be a great coach. I met a girl at that time whose goal also was to teach and coach. So, I actually applied for the coaching position at the high school I graduated from. I didn’t think at the time that an NFL career was very realistic for me. But then the NFL happened.
What did you do then?
My wife and I thought the NFL would last a year then we’d see what came next. But it lasted 16 years. Those years shaped and molded me. Coaching went from a desire to a calling then.
During that time my wife and I adopted two cousins who were in eight grade. They lived with us through high school and over that time we saw some bad coaches – not theirs necessarily – just over that time. I was also part of a group called Pro Athletes Outreach – we discussed the need for better coaching in America. We wanted t know how we could change it for the better. I realized that if I wanted to improve coaching and have the biggest impact, it should be at the high school level. That’s what my wife and I both do know.
Are there certain coaches who you find have influenced you the most on how you approach coaching?
Oh yeah. Jason Garrett was number one when it came to programming. Martz with X’s and O’s stuff and Dick LeBeau on the defensive side.
Garrett was a great mentor. Even after I retired – he let me come up and sit with him and he showed me stuff – how he created his vision and the things he was coaching. LeBeau – playing in Cincinnati when he was there and then facing those defenses in Pittsburgh. If you didn’t like Dick LeBeau, there was something wrong with you.
Were you aware of the Steelers-Bengals rivalry then, when you signed with the Bengals?
I wasn’t aware really. I was naive to a lot of things then. I grew up in Washington then played for Seattle. I was just trying to understand where Ohio was! I had never even seen a real rainstorm until I got to Ohio. I’ll never forget that.
Bratkowski was my coordinator in Seattle and he’s the guy who helped being me to the Bengals. They gave me an opportunity to compete for the starting job, and having Dick LeBeau there was great.
Any of those Steelers games and plays stand out most to you? You seemed to have some success against them.
I think you’re using success loosely! Over three years I think I was 2-4 against the Steelers. We did have some good, young talent, like Houshmandzadeh, Chad, Darnay Scott, Warrick, Corey Dillon… We were just trying to learn how to win. Remember that was the old school division then.
I remember the overtime game – throwing the touchdown to get us to overtime. I think I threw 69 passes that game – a record for the team. I think that was the first time Pittsburgh ever lost a lead like that in the fourth quarter in years. Some ridiculous number.
In 2003, I remember throwing the winning touchdown to Matt Schoebel at the end of the game too. I just enjoyed playing the Steelers. They were building something special and we could see that. We knew we had to play well to compete – especially with that great defense.
Were there individuals you remember facing most?
Joey Porter – he was at the top of his game then and he liked to talk. We were an up-and-coming-team then. Polamalu – he was a young guy then and lighting the league on fire. He had a style no one had seen at the time.
Deshea Townsend was a really good player. And the hardest hit I ever had was when I was with the Seahawks when Jason Gildon hit me.
Did you do any talking?
I stayed out of the back and forth. I was a quarterback – I didn’t want to give anyone more incentive to hit me! I liked competitiveness – I didn’t play to win easy games. I definitely got excited to play the Steelers.
What do you think of the rivalry today?
I think Pittsburgh and Baltimore is still one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the game. Now Cincinnati is still trying to find their footing and Pittsburgh is trying to navigate the process of transitioning from Ben to a new, young quarterback.
Obviously, having Tomlin and that ownership group – they’ll figure it out. They always do. Ben has been at the top of the mountain for a long time and giving that up isn’t easy.
Are you optimistic about the Bengals future?
I am yes. With Coach Taylor and a good young quarterback like Burrow – and a new wide receiver – that’s a lot of firepower there.
There are still the two monsters in that division though – Pittsburgh and Baltimore. That’s four Super Bowls over the past 20 years – you have to deal with those two teams first.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
