First, tell me a bit about what you’ve been doing since your pro football days?
Basically, after my release there I did a little stint with Trump’s team in New Jersey, then went to the Chicago Blitz and played in Canada some too. Then I just said I was done.
I came to North Carolina and started at a manufacturing job and worked my way through there. I’m now a VP at the Hanes division of Leggett & Platt, managing their bedding group. I’ve been here now for over 32 years now.
We also have a 15-year old son my wife and I adopted – he’s a good kid – likes to wrestle. We’re going to start teaching him how to drive soon, so I’m dreading that!
Was the post-NFL adjustment difficult for you at all?
It’s a different life but it wasn’t difficult. I actually still go back and see Craig Bingham – he and I are close. I go back and golf and have some fun when I’m out there and tell stories with the guys.
Why did you decide to sign with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent?
I was a kid from Ohio – it was close to my family so they could see me. And I knew they always had a good team – good linebackers – and they wanted me to play linebacker there.
There were a lot of guys from Syracuse there then too – Anderson and other guys, so it was good to be around people you knew. It worked out, I just got hurt my second season in the Hall of Fame game – that’s what really got me to be released.
Anyone help take you under their wing as a rookie?
Robin Cole taught me some things. He was a great teacher – he was one of those guys that if he liked you he would show you a lot of things. He helped show me how to stop guys much larger than I was!
How did he do that?
He taught me how to use those last few feet – that last distance between you and the other guy and how to stand them up using your leverage and force. That was exciting for me, being a smaller guy.
I played in the middle and outside as a linebacker at Syracuse. Pittsburgh wanted to play me at linebacker – on the outside which was good. I had to learn the spots you were supposed to be at to make the right play in both the 4-3 and 3-4 they ran. But we had a lot of two-a-days to learn all of that – and it’s not like I wasn’t playing football my whole life.
Did they show you how to break down film to learn at the pro level?
Yeah – they did it quickly and hard – you had to learn a lot more on how to do that at the pro level than you did in college. The coaches really helped with that.
Dungy – he was the special teams coach when I was there. He helped – he was as young as we were it seemed, so he was good at communicating with us. You could tell – he was just like he is now – he stayed calm all the time.
You were on the practice squad for a while too – what was it like going up against some of your teammates?
Courson….Wolfley – let’s just say they tried to let you know they were there! Showing the offense how the other team ran it’s defense – where they would blitz from, that kind of thing – it let them know how to prepare for the other team.
There was much more hitting then than now, I think. Now they are more concerned about players’ longevity. It’s a little different now, in my opinion.
Any fun memories you can share of your time there?
I don’t like to tell too many stories! The big thing was the comradery – and there were lots of practical jokers on the team. Bradshaw was one of them,.
I forget what song I sang on rookie night – it wasn’t a school song though. The biggest thing I remember from playing was the practices. There were always so many people there watching us. The fans were great – it’s not something you realize before you get there, that when you go to practice there would be so many people there – just there to see you practice. That takes you back,
And they treated us so well – the food was always so good!
Talk me through the fumble in the ’82 playoff game you ran in for a touchdown?
Basically, the first ones down and the first to get a hit got bragging rights on special teams. I think it was Fred Bohannon who got to the guy first and made the hit. I was right behind him and the ball was there for me to pick up and turn and spin to the left so I could get it into the endzone without flopping out of bounds on the one or two yard line.
It felt good. Of course then you have to go right back out there again. They fumbled on the next kick too. It was a hard game to lose though. It was the first time we didn’t make it past the first round in the playoffs in a while.
Were guys on the team aware that it was going to be Ham and Swann’s last season?
I don’t think anyone on the team really knew. I didn’t. I just think that’s just how it happened.
What did the team say to you when they released you – what happened exactly?
They wanted to make sure I was healthy first. But there was someone at my spot already when I was able to get back. So after I was released I worked out again and got went some other places. But I hurt my shoulder and ankle after that and decided it just wasn’t worth it anymore to keep playing. It worked well for me and it was just time to start using my brain and get a job.
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