First, can you tell me what you’ve been doing with yourself since you retired from the NFL?
I started a company called Level Up – we do training, apparel and soon nutrition help for athletes. We’ll start with sports drinks soon – all our own stuff. I retired in 2013 and took an opportunity through the NFL Entrepreneur Program – in the Harvard Business School’s Entrepreneur program.
Was the post-NFL transition difficult – how did you work through it?
The transition was very tough. There’s nowhere else like the NFL – nothing with the perks the NFL offers. Two-to-three free meals a day. That may be the biggest thing I miss!
The hardest part is not being with your friends. Feeling isolated and not doing what I did my whole life beforehand. It’s like going back to high school. But I had great support – I have an awesome family. A great wife who has an MBA. That’s helped me out a lot with the business too.
As a coach and trainer, who helped shape your approach to coaching?
In Cincinnati, Jeff Fitzgerald, Paul Gunther, and Dan Simmons helped me a great deal. They helped start my career – showed me how to play the game. How to watch film and break down the opponent – their tendencies and tips on how to take advantage of them. That’s how I teach kids nowadays.
I didn’t spend much time in Pittsburgh, but LeBeau was a great coach. It was my first time in a 3-4. It was a great group there with Foote, Woodley, Harrison. It was a great room.
Tell me about some of those characters in that room.
Oh there was never a dull moment in that linebacker room. All of the guys cared about each other. They shared a friendship even though they were so competitive. You don’t find that a lot. You’re competing with those guys yet we supported each other. It’s easy to get a big ego with so much success but that didn’t happen there.
Get any grief coming to Pittsburgh from a division rival like the Bengals?
They teased me at first but then it was time to get down to business. There wasn’t any animus that I could sense from them and I certainly didn’t have any towards them. Heck, Harrison went to the Bengals the following year!
Me and Sean Spence were in our first years there in Pittsburgh. Sean helped me – he played in the 3-4 in Miami. So here he was this rookie helping out a seven-year vet. I never felt like an outcast there. We all hung out and Harrison would invite me to his home and we’d work with his doctors and acupuncturists together.
Why sign with Pittsburgh – why was that the right landing place for you?
After Cincinnati, I just wanted the best opportunity to win. It didn’t play out that way unfortunately – Ben and Troy got hurt and it just didn’t work out. It was a difficult time that year. But the main reason I signed with Pittsburgh is it was a great organization with a great fanbase and tradition. If you have a chance to become a Steeler you take it. I’ll always see myself as a Steeler.
As for why Pittsburgh wanted to sign me. I think playing against me – I was the special teams captain in Cincinnati and came in on third downs. We won the AFC Championship in 2009. Maybe they just didn’t want to play against me! Just like when Cincinnati signed Harrison – maybe they were just tired of him sacking their quarterback so signed him instead.
Any thoughts on Ben and Coach Tomlin as leaders?
I was only there one year and Ben and I weren’t the greatest of friends. We just didn’t sit in meetings together – we were on different sides of the ball.
Coach Tomlin – I loved playing for him. He was a great guy. I’ll never forget – Louisville was coming to Pittsburgh to play Pitt. Tomlin said to me that he knew my alma mater was coming to town and asked if I wanted his box seats for the game. It was a blast, watching the game by myself in that box! I don’t remember if I even asked anyone to join me!
Tomlin never hesitated to let you know how he truly felt. He didn’t sugarcoat things, and I appreciated that. That can be lacking at times in the NFL.
You retired after that season in Pittsburgh. Why?
I got old, basically. I worked out with the Patriots afterwards, and Belichick said he was going to sign me. But then he called me later and told me they were worried about my knee and couldn’t sign me.
Any thoughts on how the game has changed?
How do I say this? I think the game has slowed down – bogged down by penalties. I’d like to see the calls be more balanced. Calling a spot foul for pass interference is egregious – a 50 yard penalty is insane. And an automatic first down for a five-yard penalty is insane. I’d like to see it be more balanced. If there’s an automatic first down for penalties there should be an automatic fourth down too!
I do like the direction of player safety. After I retired I would go to former player meetings and see guys struggling from injuries they suffered playing the game.
And the players – these athletes are head and shoulders better than they’ve ever been. They’re bigger, stronger, and faster than ever. It makes for an exciting product.
Any last thoughts for readers?
Well, I’m trying to get into coaching, so let folks know that! I stayed out of football for two years after I retired, to focus on being a dad and a husband. I did join the Raiders last year through the NFL’s coaching internship program. That was the best training camp I ever attended. Staying in a five-star hotel in Napa Valley – you can’t beat it!
It doesn’t sound so tough though!
Ha no! It wasn’t rough at all!
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
