First, let mc know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your NFL days?
Basically, I’ve been teaching and coaching high school since I retired from playing. I recently retired from coaching. I’m still in the classroom though teaching health, PE, and driver’s ed. But I don’t go out on the road – I just teach them the law!
Why teaching – and what influences affected how you coached?
I went to school, for a degree. The thing is, when I left high school, I had no desire or inclination to pay pro football. It just happened for me. By the grace of God I had a good eduction at East Carolina and always wanted to be an educator. As a player, you emulate your coaches, and my coaches were like teachers too. You take some of those things you learn and transfer those to what you do in life.I went into sales first before finding a job in teaching, and have been teaching now for almost 25 years.
If you remember Pat Dye – he was my coach in college. My high school coach my first year was Marion Darby, who later went and coached in Greensboro. Both were guys I had respect for. How they coached was how I wanted to approach my players.
Dye was business but made it fun. He also made it personal – he would help you get in touch what your inner self, to play the fame the right way. To play fast and smart – to outwork people. Dye was a disciple of Bear Bryant. When I visited him at East Carolina as a senior in high school I could tell in that visit – the honesty he gave me – that I could trust him. Players look for a coach they can put their trust in. He was fair – he wanted you to work hard and believe in yourself and your teammates. I’d have tried to run through a wall for him.
After being groomed by Dye were you surprised to be drafted so high by the Steelers, especially when they had such a deep linebacking corps?
Woody Windenhofer and George Perles came down to East Carolina my senior year . It was totally different then than it is now. It’s all about technology now in scouting. Back then the combine wasn’t a big deal. So they came down and worked me out. Wideonhifer asked me then what I’d do if they drafted me round one. I said ok – I’d like that. It didn’t faze me really. The Giants also came in and worked me our. Their defensive coordinator said they were looking for a guy who could take a game over. A bonafide star. Of course, they took Lawrence Taylor!
I was excited when I was drafted. In North Carolina they didn’t cover the Steelers much on tv. I didn’t know much about them, We got the Redskins and Colts and only saw the Steelers if they played them or if it was a Monday night game. I knew they were good. But I didn’t know much about their linebackers.
When the Steelers called me to tell me I was drafted, they asked me if I knew much about the linebackers I’d be playing with. I said they only linebackers I knew were Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Zack Valentine! I didn’t know Andy Russell, Robin Cole, Loren Toews, or Dennis Winston. I wasn’t being disrespectful -I just didn’t know them.
Were those guys helpful to you as a rookie?
All the players were helpful. The Steelers were a totally different type of NFL organization. That was just part of their system. They were a bonded family. Cole came there a year before I did. Winston played multiple positions – inside and out. Shell and Stallworth talked with me and helped show me how to play. LC and Dwight White were funny guys. And Mel talked to all the younger guys like he was their older brother.
They were all helpful. Jack Ham helped with everything. But they all knew where they stood on the team and weren’t worried about their position being taken. They all understood that. When I got there Pittsburgh just won it’s third Super Bowl. I was a young, highly-drafted linebacker and the light bulb was on me to produce, I just wish I produced more.
About that – how frustrating was that getting stuck behind those guys – and why would they draft you with that linebacker corps?
It was tough. They had Lambert and Ham in their prime still. Cole and Winston were young. It was a tough position to break in to.
To my understanding, Pittsburgh didn’t draft by position. They drafted the guys they thought were the best. But it was an awesome time.
Any fun stories of your time there?
I remember my first year, when we finally got a night off in Latrobe. A lot of the guys went to a place in Latrobe to get something to eat and a beer, to relax. Well, that night I went to Joe Greene’s room to say hi. He used to call me “Little Buddy” then – that was his name for me. I’ll never forget going to his room and seeing him getting ready, putting lotion on on his hands. His ring was on the table, and I sat on the edge of the bed, holding the ring. “This is really nice!” I said. This was right after they won that third Super Bowl. Well, he came over to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and said “Don’t worry little buddy, we’re going to get you one too!” I’ll never forget that. Those are memories I cherish.
After three years though, you left Pittsburgh. What happened?
That year we went to the 3-4. I played outside in the 4-3 and they moved me inside. I was playing well in the preseason. I felt good about what I was doing and had a decent preseason. The coach called me in though and told me they traded me to Baltimore. I was shocked. Dwayne Woodruff was my roommate then – he was shocked too. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to end my career there. It was all I knew. We had played Baltimore that last preseason game and I guess they liked me. They day they traded me was the same day they cut LC.
What happened after that?
Frank Kush was the coach in Balitmore at the time. I had a conversation with he and the GM, letting them know I was going to drive in and get there the next day. I got to Baltimore in the afternoon and went to the main office. I waited in the lobby after telling the receptionist who I was and that I was there to speak with the GM and Coach Kush. I kept waiting until the GM finally came out an introduced himself. He told me that they didn’t know if I was coming or not, so they waived me! I said “What?” I told him I talked to the coach and told him I was coming. The GM told me they were going in another direction. I asked if I could talk to the coach and he said yes, and I waited in the lobby.
Well, I waited for a couple of hours. The GM finally came out and told me the coach went out for a run. I said fine. At the same time all of the reporters were waiting to speak with me, and I had to tell them I couldn’t – that there were things going on. They asked me about how Kush raved about me after the trade and that he said I’d be a leader on his defense. I told them I felt good about that. Then I told them I just found out I was waived. They said “What?” I told them I just found out.
So I headed back to North Carolina and called Pittsburgh and my agent. I spoke to Bill Nunn who said they’d get back to me. He was interested because they had traded me for a conditional pick. My agent was confused – he told the team I was coming too.
I never had a conversation with Kush. The GM told me they may want to sign me later. When I was home the next morning I woke up and turned on the tv, and there’s Chris Berman on ESPN. “You want to know how tough Frank Kush is?” he said. “He just waived Zack Valentine and told him the team didn’t need you!”
The thing is, Frank Kush and I never spoke. I think they were cutting me to save themselves a draft pick.
Anyway, a number of teams called after that, including some from Canada. Kansas City, Buffalo, and Philadelphia all called. I had friends in Philly and it was close to home. so I went there and worked out, and eventually signed there.
Any last thoughts about your time there?
It was awesome to be part of that time and those guys. I’m in my sixties now, and can remember all those great times when I was in my twenties. Seeing guys like LC, Bennie who just passed away. I think about that many times.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
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