First, can you let us know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your playing days?

Well, I really don’t have a plan yet. I guess I need to get one soon. I’m enjoying my family – spending time with them. I’ve delved into a few small business ventures, but mostly I’m just enjoying my life and family

How hard was the post-NFL transition for you?

Well, it’s two-fold. It wasn’t easy to retire, but it was an easy transition. My buddy Jeff Hartings retired a couple of years before me, and he said “You’ll see.” Well, I was barbequing on Sundays and didn’t watch games for a while. Jeff was right. I totally checked out for a while. I am happy with my career and I have no regrets, which is not true for a lot of players. I left when I wanted too and most can’t say that. I could. Many guys have untied issues with their time in the NFL, but I don’t.

The transition into the real world was a small challenge. I’ve been in complete retirement for several years now and am enjoying it. Playing golf and fishing has been nice. But then you get to a point where, maybe it’s time to start thinking of something different. It’s funny, NFL players hit their career arc in their 20’s. Now, you have to think about what you would have done if you weren’t an NFL player. That is a challenge, to find another thing with that intensity.

Much was made of your weight loss and marathon running. Do you think there’s something there to help other NFL players who have not been able to get to health as you did?

You know, there were a lot of guys who reached out to me and asked questions about it. It was a big deal I guess. But guys are all over the country. They’re not in one little spot, so it wouldn’t be easy. It’s a harder issue than just helping them.

How important is making the Hall of Fame to you?

Well, it’s the Holy Grail of the football world, to be in that club. It’s a big deal, right up there with winning the Super Bowl. All I’ve done to make it has been done right? So now it’s just waiting it out. But I’m enjoying the process. It’s exciting to hear people talk about me in the same breath with those guys already in the Hall of Fame.

Let’s talk about being drafted by Pittsburgh. Were you surprised – and who called to let you know?

I don’t remember who first called me – they handed the phone to Cowher quickly. The funny thing though was this. One of the other guys they drafted – Jeremy Staat – a guy I was friendly with for a couple of years – he was on the phone at the same time. We were having a conversation about being drafted and we realized we were on the phone at the same time round one. I guess they chose me round one and then drafted him round two.

I didn’t want to know about teams interest in me for a long time. I let my agent do his thing. I didn’t want to hear rumors. But a week out I finally asked my agent what he was hearing. He mentioned Pittsburgh and said that he thought I’d end up in Pittsburgh. They never spoke to me before the draft that I can even remember. But my agent said he thought I was just the kind of guy they liked. It was only a feeling he said. It’s funny because at the same time the Cowboys guy kept calling me – I had a direct line to Jerry Jones!

When you go to Pittsburgh, who helped mentor you, and how?

When I got there it was a very veteran offensive line. There weren’t many young guys at all. Me, their third round pick and maybe one guy who had two years of experience. The rest of the guys had five-to-ten years under their belt.

They all took me under their wing. They weren’t threatened. They didn’t withhold tips or tricks – they helped show me how to conduct myself on and off the field. Woolford, Dawson, Stai, Sweeney, Strekczyk – they were all helpful. They knew what it took to succeed and were still all working hard to get better.

Jim Sweeney said he was honored that you asked to take the number 66 when he retired.

Yeah. I asked for Jim’s number when he retired because I wore 66 throughout my time leading up to the NFL. I chose 65 because it was the closest thing to 66 until he retired.

You were know as a fiery guy as a player – how do you keep from crossing the line on the field when you’re that “fired up” during a game?

I guess you play hard but within your own head – you have to know the limits and choose the different spots when you can get away with things. After a while you learn what spots you can do so where refs don’t catch you, like in pileups. But otherwise you play within the game. We’re offensive linemen – half the time we’re too winded to do anything but get back to the huddle!

You blocked for a number of different running backs with various running styles – Bettis, Parker, Zereoue for example. How much do you have to change what you do for those styles and was there any back you enjoyed blocking for most?

Having different backs does force you to change the things you do. You run different plays with different guys. Amos and Jerome had very different styles and you have to adjust accordingly. Jerome was so smart and had really good vision. We played together for so many years that I could tell what he would do. We’d have a play called and I knew where he would go so I’d adjust – maybe lean on the backside block more before moving out because I knew he’d cut back some and that would help him out. Amos – he wasn’t going to take it back like Jerome, so I knew I had better get moving.

That does remind me of a funny story – not exactly related related but still. When running backs catch a screen pass, they are supposed to say “Go! Go! Go!” to let the linemen know to go. Most say they do it, but they really don’t. Maybe they say it in their own heads, to themselves. Well, Chris Fuamatu Ma’afala was the best at it. It was hilarious – we used to be laughing in the middle of a play sometimes. He’d yell out in that Hawaiian accent “Go brutha go!” two or three times. He’s the only running back I heard give that go call.

Your contract negotiations were tough. What was the issue that finally caused you to leave in free agency?

It was real hard, leaving. It was a regime change – Cowher retired and Tomlin came in and Kevin took over the GM position. For me it was simple. There were seven or eight top guards in the league and all had about the same contract. it’s just the way it worked out. Hutchinson and some other guys all got those deals while I was still on my contract. I just wanted one of those deals. I looked at those guys – the seventh, sixth, fifth guy and knew I was as good if not better than they were. I just told them to put me in the mix – pick one of those deals and give me the same contract. But they saw it otherwise. That’s what led me to leaving.

Any fun stories you can share?

I was just talking about this with a friend. He was asking me about a movie and what really goes on in a game. I told him it’s not like the movies at all. We don’t have time for lengthy conversations between snaps. That doesn’t usually happen.

But I told him, one time in Tampa Bay, I fell on a ball and was on the bottom of a pile. I was the only guy on our team and had the ball clean. The refs couldn’t see anything – the pile of guys on top of me didn’t let them see. I had no other guys helping me – none were there. The other guys were tugging my arms different directions. I was trying to hold on to the ball but it finally came loose. The other guys grabbed it, but then one guy grabbed my balls and started squeezing them. I remember yelling “I don’t have the fucking ball anymore! Leave me alone!”

Last one for you – any thoughts on the way the game has changed?

I think some of the changes were necessary due to the concussion issues. But they went too far right in my opinion in dealing with the problem, instead of working from the middle and getting those changes made. The approach was too drastic.

It’s a different age and game. It’s about touchdowns and quarterback play. That’s what sells I guess. It’s good and bad. It just leads to a different kind of football – not what was around when I played.

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