Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Chris Carter, 2011-2013

First, can you let us know what you’ve been doing since you retired from the NFL?

I just accepted a job in tech actually – with StubHub on the business side in ticket sales. I retired from the NFL last year after an eight-year run. It was a great run for me.

It’s funny – of all the teams I played for, my family never had a team they loved until I got to Pittsburgh. Now they are Steelers fans for life! How the Rooneys treated me – they got me doing internships while I was there – I got my Masters while I was playing in Pittsburgh. The owners – Tull, Paul – they were the ultimate mentors for me. They stayed by my side even after I left Pittsburgh and helped me with internships – to help me with my career. I have nothing but love for them.

You’ve also been involved in a lot of charities and foundations correct?

I always volunteered for charities, but in Pittsburgh it was even bigger. Casey and Troy were big time friends and took me under their wing. They did a lot of philanthropy – as did the late Mr. Rooney.

I tell people all the time how fortunate I was to play for Pittsburgh. Los Angeles can be a bit presumptuous, but Pittsburgh is a blue collar town and even the people with money are blue collar. Seeing how unselfish the Rooneys were motivated me. I would always donate to my high school in Fontana. I’d speak to the kids and donate shirts and cleats and pay for meals before the games. The Steelers helped me with that – I walked in to the front office and said I wanted to help and they backed me 100%.

I went back for the Buffalo game – it was the first time I was even on a field without wearing cleats. It was one of the greatest experiences. I was like a kid in Disney Land. I felt like Hines Ward! I had so many great relationships there – I have nothing but love for them.

Were you surprise when they drafted you?

Oh I was extremely surprised. I never even interviewed with them. I met their West Coast scout Bruce McNorton before my pro day and that was it. But he said I was probably too undersized to play in their system as an outside linebacker.  That I wasn’t big enough, So I worked out all offseason after that! I just wanted to be in the NFL really – I just wanted an opportunity with any team who would be willing to help develop me.

Pittsburgh was one of the last teams that I thought would call me, But I don’t regret it at all! Mr. Rooney, Coach Mitchell and Coach Tomlin all talked to me. They called me on my cell which surprised me. Evidently my house phone wasn’t ringing. When I picked up they said “Dude – why aren’t you answering your phone!” No wonder – I kept staring at my phone wondering why no one was calling me! They asked if I was ready to be a Steeler. It was crazy because 10 minutes later the Cardinals drafted my brother. We ended up playing each other that season too.

Anyone help mentor you as someone new to the team and city?

Casey Hampton was the ultimate teammate – not enough people talk about him. He helped me a lot. William Gay took me out to dinner every Thursday and just talked to me about life and how to be a professional football player. Troy and his wife also looked after me too, being West Coast people like I was.

And Lawrence Timmons – he was like a brother to me. He helped me understand the playbook and the game. And he’d always push you to do better, They were all such good dudes and good friends.

Was it hard, not getting as many chances to see the field with so many veteran linebackers on the team?

In Pittsburgh everyone was fighting for reps. I lasted there for three years and one camp – I learned fundamentals and got myself established in Pittsburgh. LeBeau was one of the greatest coaches I ever played for – no wonder he’s in the Hall of Fame. And Keith Butler was my position coach then. I was fortunate too because Carnell Lake was the defensive backs coach then and after our meetings he’d take extra time to talk to me about coverages and teach me things too. I rarely saw a coaching staff so involved and willing to spend extra time with players like I saw in Pittsburgh. It was always a no excuses environment. You were expected to do your job and be accountable for your role.

Was the 3-4 tough to pick up?

The 3-4 was difficult for me to pick up yes – I played in a 4-3 defense in college. And Dick LeBeau’s playbook was huge – it was like a Thomas Guide! Keith’s was shorter but Dick LeBeau’s playbook was the biggest I had seen.

What are some of the experiences there that stand out most to you?

One of the coolest things I ever saw was when I was there in Pittsburgh and it wasn’t really football-related. William Gay, Ike Taylor, Troy Poamalu – they all had kids around the same age. The team was so big in the community – they wanted their kids and fans to see that they wanted to do right b the community.

We went to the YMCA for the elderly visits and did charity events there. Mr. Rooney would go which was one of the coolest things. To see him taking time out of his day to be there too was special. Later that day we went to bingo with Ike, Troy, William and their kids – which is why I mentioned them earlier.They wanted their kids to understand what we were doing for the community. We’d sit and talk to the elderly folks there while we played bingo and would ask them questions about their lives and learn all about them. It was one of the coolest things I ever saw or was a part of – I never saw other teams do anything like that.

Some of us would go out with hundreds of dollars in quarter to laundromats and just pay for everyone’s laundry. It was like a team-building thing – just some guys who felt like getting together and doing it that day. I tried to bring those ideas to other teams after I left Pittsburgh.

Ray Jackson – he was the Director of Player Personnel in Pittsburgh then. He did a great job helping us. He was such a great guy.

I came into a very veteran team in Pittsburgh. It was a very different team than my brother landed at in Arizona. They just operated in a very different way. Pittsburgh had a winning tradition but we cared about each other and the community as well.

What are your thoughts about the job Tomlin has done now as coach and your experiences with him when you played for him?

Tomlin is an amazing coach. I’m not surprised at the success he’s had even with so many injuries he had on that team and the limited talent he had – no to knock the guys there. I’m inspired for Keith Butler and the job he’s done with the defense. And I remember Jerry O when he was the quality control coach there!

And the direction of the NFL in general?

The game is evolving. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Steelers get a mobile quarterback like Baltimore has now. I know the Steelers’ bread is buttered in tradition, but the franchise has a way of finding out how to win. I noticed these playoffs have a lot of mobile quarterbacks. As a defensive player I hated running quarterbacks.  But I would not be surprised to see Pittsburgh have one soon.

Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades.  To order, just click on the book: