First off, what have you been up to since playing for the Steelers?
I’ve been doing a lot. I’ve been coaching, doing payroll sales, training people full-time with Grind U and building homes.
I did a lot of college and high school coaching – I coached at Arkansas State which is funny because I just heard Mike Tomlin talk about his first coaching job being at Arkansas State as a special teams coach. He said his first game as coach the other team ran a kickoff against his unit for a touchdown – it’s one of those things he remembers most!
Do you want to get back into coaching again?
I’m out of coaching now – I don’t want to coach but I do want to stay connected to it. I’m back in Philly now. I loved coaching at my alma mater in Philly but time was an issue – I had other things I needed to focus on. Now I want to be a recruiter for athletes in the region and get them more exposure to colleges though my connections and social media. I feel like I can have more impact doing that than coaching.
Were there people who helped shape the way you coached and helped you the most?
I think you steal from everyone. When I was at Pitt it was Paul Chryst first then Narduzzi. They were very different but both were my guys. Chryst was an offensive guy and was quiet – but when he spoke everyone was locked in. Narduzzi had that energy and was a big media guy – and a defensive coach.
Even in high school I had stuff I took from. And Coach Tomlin – he was my favorite. I know people outside of the team may say things about him, but in the locker room he know how to motivate people and genuinely cares about his players.
I made the team as a tryout player. Tomlin would come up to me – I came in in the same class as Watt but he told me he didn’t care how I got there. He said that they needed me to do my job. That says a lot and speaks loudly to a guy trying to make the team. I felt like I wasn’t lost in the sauce. He was the ultimate motivator.
What helped you to make the team as a tryout player?
They were honest – they told us it would be a hard minicamp – one of the hardest in the NFL. Playing the middle linebacker position and having played for Narduzzi – I always wanted to know as much about the offense as I could and did a lot of pre-prep. I liked doing that. In the 3-4 that helped me. They’d give us 50% of the playbook in camp and you had 72 hours to learn it all and they’d install some of it every day. I was able to make some plays – I had to get the signals from the coaches, know what those signals were and communicate that to everyone effectively – and do my job. Handling all of that in a blender helped me.
Did any of the vets help you the most – how so?
Some helped with snippets here and there. Ryan Shazier was great. Me and another undrafted free agent – he gave us both as much information as he could. He told us that and they he knew maybe just one of us would make it. He helped with drills and in meetings and after practices. Some of it was about things we needed to do on our own – taking care of our bodies and giving 100% effort.
I was close to Giemont and the rest of the training staff too. The Steelers do a good job of making sure everyone had the same message. In the Winter/Spring when everyone was off they were good about knowing who we were. What we needed. When you are in the building more they learn who you are and know how to better help you. And see that you are being accountable.
What stands out most to you of your on-field time there?
The coolest thing was the camp side – it was fun – it still felt like college. You’re in the dorms and stay close. And the fans coming to practice – taking their vacation time just to come down and see us practice with their families.
I loved the seven-shots – that’s when I got to get on the field and play. And my interception against the Panthers. Shazier actually went and got the ball for me and told me I’d want to keep it – I didn’t even think about it at the time. I still have it!
What about off the field?
It was weird for me. I was on the practice squad, then cut, then signed back before I got injured and was released. So I was on my own for much of that first year. My rookie year was fun though. Having played in Pittsburgh it was fun touring the city with other rookies and showing them around.
My first locker was a chair – next to Chris Blewitt’s chair. We just had chairs! When I made the practice squad I got a locker next to James Harrison’s. He was a good guy who loved to work out. I did too but he was on a whole different level.
Harrison, Ben and AB all got two lockers. Going from a chair, to a temporary locker, to a full-time locker to two lockers – that was the path!
How did you handle the back and forth of being released and being re-signed?
I had never been hurt before – even in high school. After just getting signed back and then getting hurt and then brought back again in January, it was different. I still felt a bit like a rookie in my second year. Now when I talk to kids who complain about getting reps in practice, I tell them I used to get maybe 10 reps in practice in the NFL! So don’t complain about your reps and try and get work on special teams! You just need to maximize your reps. It’s a business in the NFL.
What advice would you give guys trying to make it as free agents?
Know who you are and show your face as much as you can in the facility. And overly know the playbook. It’s a weird balance – you don’t want to step on the toes of your teammates but you need to compete. And do the smart things – don’t go out late with friends and take care of your body.
I get asked a lot if I’m an Eagles or Steelers fan since I’m from the Philly area but played for the Steelers. I tell people that the Steelers don’t pay my rent now so I root for the Eagles! But I’m a massive Tomlin fan and of the other folks on the team. I still see lots of Pitt players in the NFL too – there’s an underrated pipeline of players from Pitt thanks to Narduzzi. I’m still a huge Pennsylvania football fan – except for Penn State! I was 1-0 versus Penn State – we should be playing each other every year.
Oh – and one of the coolest moments for me was when we played in Philadelphia in preseason. I had a lot of family there. When we played the Giants my first year that was actually the first NFL game I ever went to. And when we played the Eagles my second season that was the first Eagles game I ever went to.
Get to play a lot in the Eagles game?
I didn’t play as much s I wanted no. It was the third game of the year and I only got in with about four minutes left, so I was pretty disappointed. I wanted more opportunity. Still – it was an amazing experience.