First off, what have you been up to since you retired from the NFL?
I’m currently the sales manager for a car dealership in South Boston, Virginia. I retired around when Covid hit – I had knee issues and tried o rehab it, but it just wasn’t doing well. I wasn’t able to practice and play at my best. I had calls to play still, but I decided then that I was done.
My friend was in the car sales business and he got me interested in it. He got me the opportunity, and when he was promoted to general manger, I went with him and became the sales manager.
Was the transition difficult to life after football?
It wasn’t easy by any means – it’s different for everyone. Some search for something right away to get into. I was lucky – I went home and spent time with my family and got a new puppy – so I was good in that sense. But it’s tough to figure out who you are outside of football when football was the reason for so much of what you did before.
I thought about coaching for a bit but I wanted to separate myself from football. Everything I did before was about football – you rest to get energy for football, eat to get energy for football, take classes that help make sure you can play football…The hardest part was figuring out what to do now. How to keep my mind active when everything before was about getting ready for practices and games. It was about figuring out who I was outside of football. I’m at the point now where I’m good. I have no regrets – I’m happy to have had that experience.
Were there guys that helped mentor you early on in your career?
I was really blessed to be in rooms in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh where the guys did things the right way. We were all big kids living a dream and making decent money doing it. I was lucky to meet and be teammates with those guys.
I learned from everyone – whether they were an All Pro, rookie or practice squad player. Everyone has their own perspectives on things and they all made it that far for a reason.
What was the biggest thing you learned from them all?
How to take care of your body. From weightlifting to rehab they did things to the highest degree. It was really cool to see them all with that mindset. Richmond had great coaches – some players in college though are there because that’s how they get their degree. In the NFL they are all trying to stay there. The work ethic and to see what we were all capable of was special. There were linemen that ran like wide receivers and receivers as strong as linemen.
What made you decide to sign with the Steelers?
I got a lot of calls from teams but it was just like a sign when they called. They called at the right time. The history of the franchise – and I had great conversations with them.
In Pittsburgh they did everything as a group – it was one big family. From the owners down to the kitchen staff. The owners would play pool with the players.
One big moment that stands out was when my grandmother passed away. I reached out to Mike Tomlin to tell him I didn’t want to lose my spot on the team but that I was going to have to miss time for the funeral. He told me not to worry about that and offered to fly me out to the funeral. When I got to the funeral there were two big bouquets of flowers sent by the team. I don’t know how they got the address – I never gave it to them.
Were there moments off the field that stick out most to you?
It was all like a movie. I drove from North Carolina to Pittsburgh when they signed me. Normally I hate driving but I was so excited the whole way. We’d play video games and golf together – we all went to Dave & Busters too which was a funny moment.
They would also have all of the rookies sit down and learn the history of the team and why the logo was so important. They force that history into you. It was interesting – they didn’t have my local bank there. But they wouldn’t direct deposit checks for players. They cut physical checks – they wanted players to be out in the community.
Were there on-field memories that stand out?
In practice I’d treat everyone the same – whether they were a Hall of Fame guy or a practice squad guy. I competed against everyone – we all wanted to do our best. it was cool seeing how Ben worked with the offense. Going up against guys like Pouncey – it was a chance to grow. Competition there was non-stop – it helped me to better myself as a person and player.
What helped me was that I could play every position – I lined up at noseguard and defensive end. But in terms of things that stand out – practice was such repetition that when it was time to play I didn’t have to think a lot. It was just the chance to play ball and turn the thinking off a bit. So I don’t remember a lot of those things – for better or worse.
I do remember my first game with Philadelphia going up against my former college teammate Thomas Evans in Green Bay – that was a cool moment. He’s competing in the World’s Strongest Man Competition now.
Lastly – as an undrafted free agent from a relatively smaller college – what advice would you give others on making it in the NFL?
I’d say to give it everything you’ve got – that applies to anything you do in life. Give it all you can – whether you become a Hall of Fame player or training camp guy, when you leave the game you want to know you gave it all you had. And enjoy the moment. You earned the opportunity. I feel like I was a kid who lived out his dream. It didn’t work out as I hoped but I know I gave it everything I had and have no regrets because of that.