First, let’s talk about how it all started. 15 years coaching one team is a long time – how did it all start?
When I was finishing college at the University of Tulsa, I had just played four years of football. But I was a realist – I wasn’t going to be an NFL player. I sent my resume out to Tom Donohoe in Pittsburgh for a scouting internship. I was supposed to be there for one year, but I ended up staying for 15 years!
Rooney and the staff were awesome. It was great to work with Donohoe and Cowher on those successful draft classes and on evaluating players. And Tomlin after that.
What made the team so special, from your perspective?
It all started with the ownership. It was run as a business and they worked on things as a team effort. Everyone had to be on the same page. We all had the same goals.
We were very detailed and thorough. When we go on the road to scout and get information we were meticulous in out reports and approach. It was all very well thought-out and very detailed. We were all on the same page.
You’ve coached on the college and NFL side, What have you noticed about how college players have changed over the years?
You always have to be challenged and feel a little uncomfortable in your job. When I went to UCLA from the NFL I had to take all those years of scouting and coaching and use that to work with high school kids. You have time constraints in college so while you can see the size and ability of the kids it is harder to shape them as you want to.
We once had eight freshman players on the field at the same time at UCLA on defense. You can see the talent even as freshmen at that level.
Football though is still about tackling well and good communication. Schemes are less complex in college so that is a big difference as kids adjust to the NFL. One thing I am seeing now is – when I was in Alabama and UCLA – they do an outstanding job working on players’ speed and agility. The strength staffs are amazing. They keep the players ready and healthy. Strength coaches have had a great impact on collegiate football.
You were there for so long and worked with so many coaches. What were those relationships like and what did the team look for in it’s coaches?
What made Pittsburgh so good to work for was the relationships with the coaches. They were intimate and real with each other on all three sides of the ball. The respect and courtesy that all of Cowher’s assistant coaches and coordinators showed each other helped show why they became so successful throughout their careers. It starts with Mr. Rooney and works it’s way down throughout the team.
What lessons did you learn working for them that helped shape your approach to coaching?
No job was too small. One time I got to Three Rivers Stadium early and I walked in to see Mr. Rooney vacuuming the hallway. I told him I can handle that and he just said not to worry, he had it. The owner did anything he could to make the team better. No job was too small.
It also helped teach me the way we interact with players matters. We had such a high level of talent on those defenses. My first year we had Woodson, Kirkland, Lloyd, Perry, Williams, Brown…
The next era we had Aaron Smith, Foote, Farrior, Troy, Carter, Clark. Quality people – great people. Ty was very helpful and contributed a lot to helping other guys, When Tomlin came in he did an awesome job as well keeping the players ready.
Tell me what you feel was your greatest contribution to the team over those 15 years?
Well, there’s no I – just we. That was the best part working for Mr. Rooney. I did my job – that’s what I can tell you. That entails so many different things. There’s too much too focus on one thing. I worked my best to help players and the team play their best.
What would the players you worked with say about you if I asked them about you?
Ha! I think they’d just laugh! In a good way. I have a lot of love and respect for them and hope they just had good things to say! Who knows.
I spoke to Dick LeBeau about the difficulty drawing the line between being close to players but still being the coach. You both seem to have similar approaches. How hard is that for you and how do you manage that line?
Honestly, it’s about having respect for the players and being honest. It’s a business and there are hard choices. My job is to do my best to make you a good player here – or if necessary elsewhere. We know players have to provide for themselves so sometimes that means moving on. But I try to make sure they enjoy and embrace the moment and make it a relaxed atmosphere. I want them to be natural and take away the stress as much as possible.
Working for Mr. Rooney, you also learn a lot about people. To be honest and respectful. You need to have passion, but it can’t be fake. Players see right through that.
Looking back – what do you feel most proud of in terms of those years in Pittsburgh?
Well, personally, the success was great in Pittsburgh because I grew up there and my wife and kids got to experience the success in my city with me. My wife was from Arizona but she says Pittsburgh is her home now. That is special to me. And the kids have memories of the city that will stay with them – they’ll remember those times in the town that I grew up in. It’s nice they’ll have those memories of the town their dad grew up in.
What memories stand out to you most?
The best one is really a two-part memory. After the first Super Bowl, two minutes after the game, I remember looking in the eyes of the players, coaches, scouts, front office people and the joy there.
The parade two days later – I was never a part of something so special. Fans standing on cars – just all enjoying the moment. In ’79 I remember after that Super Bowl win, being a kid in the streets, hitting pots and pans together celebrating.
Then, after Super Bowl 40, the joy of fans and family. There’s no words to describe that feeling.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
