First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing since your time playing football?
Well, after I played in Green Bay I went to school and got my law degree, I’ve been practicing now for 51 years! I’m a trial lawyer and have racked up a few awards here in South Carolina. I came back to the town I grew up in and went to high school and college in. Still practicing law!
Was the post-playing transition tough?
It wasn’t too bad of a transition. I had always planned to go to law school when I was done playing football. I was single the whole time so that made it easy. I went back and forth taking classes to get my degree until the dean finally told me I needed to get one total year in to get my degree. I finally did that and became a prosecutor.
So it wasn’t too bad. I knew I wanted to practice law. I just never thought it would be for this long! But what else am I going to do? I don’t want to stay at home and watch soap operas!
How did you end up in Pittsburgh with the Steelers?
I was drafted by Green Bay. But I played behind Ray Nitschke so you didn’t get a lot of playing time then. The year I got there he actually got hurt before the runner-up game versus Cleveland – they didn’t have a Super Bowl then. So I played in that game.
But after that season Green Bay traded me to Pittsburgh. I wasn’t surprised. You didn’t play much in Green Bay those days – just too many great players.
How was Pittsburgh?
I started playing more in Pittsburgh. We played at Pitt Stadium then which was a mess. I actually went back when South Carolina played Pitt – Jim Morrison was the coach and he and I were friends. When I walked onto the field some of the security guards came up and shook my hand! They had some great memories!
The Steelers had some good players and good guys then – Theron Sapp, Clendon Thomas…Paul Martha was a rookie then. Brady Keys and Myron Pottios were good players too.
The funniest moment was when Buddy Parker cut the whole team after a loss! He called the commissioner and the commissioner told him he couldn’t do that – he had a game next week!
Any on-field memories stand out to you?
When we played the Giants I intercepted a pass and lateraled it back to Brady Keys. The coaches cussed me out when I got to the sidelines. “Don’t you ever lateral the ball like that!” It was a perfect lateral too – it made the papers!
Ed Brown was the quarterback then and he would punt sometimes. Sometimes I would. Once I punted and slipped just as I got it off and landed straight on my back. But I got the punt off!
I know the year before I got there they had, what, four or five tie games, and those didn’t count. If they had beaten the Giants that last game they would have been in the championship game, but of course they got their asses kicked!
Any other fun memories that come to mind?
Buzz Nutter was traded over form Baltimore before I got there and was the team captain. He couldn’t center for a punt – he was bad at it. One game we played at Yankee Stadium – I was punting and standing next to the goalpost. Back then they were right there in the endzone.
Well, Jimmy Harrison used to be the center but he was hurt, so Buzz was in. He snapped the ball over my head and past the goalposts. It wasn’t even close. He yelled at us after “I told you I couldn’t center on punts!”
Ben McGee was a big man too. He and Roosevelt Grier once got into a fight in the middle of the field. It was snowing and sleeting and they were going at each other. Everyone just said “Don’t go over there – walk around them!” No one wanted to get close to those guys – they were just duking it out!
What happened after that season?
I enjoyed it in Pittsburgh. It was a depressed city then due to the economy I think.
After that season I was traded to Los Angeles. I was one of the last cuts there. I don’t think Bill Austin knew or he would have tried to sign me – he always looked out for me.
Any of the guys there – those friendships – in Pittsburgh still stand out to you?
There were four-to-five guys that I hung out with most. We’d go out, see the young ladies… Homemade beer was a big thing then – we had an apartment there and made beer and had a lot of fun. Sandusky – one time he came out of a bar with beers in both hands. He fell, right on his head. On his back he looked up at me and said “Ed. I didn’t spill a beer!” And I looked – and he was right. He had one in each hand.
That’s how those guys were in Pittsburgh. They were a lot of fun. In Green Bay they were a lot more serious.
I hung out with Pottios, Sapp, Sandusky, Tom McDonald – he didn’t drink. And Theron Sapp. And Phil King who was traded from the Giants- he committed suicide a few years after I left sadly.
I liked the area – I had a good time. I appreciated the people – the fans liked to hang out with us.
And I remember coach telling us, that if we won, run through a certain gate off the field. But if we lost, run through the other gate, because it’s further away from the fans and they’ll be throwing beer at you!
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
