First off, I know you joined the military after your time in the NFL – what drove that decision for you and how did you manage that transition?
My last year in the NFL – my second year in Pittsburgh – I was going through camp, recovering from surgery, and just realized I was behind guys like Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro. I was sitting in the hot tub after a practice talking to Al Villanueva, and he told me a personal story about his time in the Army and why he joined the Army that got the gears turning for me.
In that transition, were there aspects of playing football that helped with the military transition?
Absolutely. I think that one of the things I loved about playing football was the team aspect. The military is one of the few fields where you have that same kind of community and group feel. It’s a fraternity, like you have in the NFL. You’re counted on to do your job by everyone around you, just like you are as an offensive lineman. So those skills helped with the transition for sure.
You played at a Division II school {Kearney State}- how did that affect your transition to the NFL?
I think the speed of the game was so different. When you look at a Division II roster, there may be one or two guys that are that fast. The speed is just so much faster at every position in the NFL. Every practice you felt that – pulling trying to block guys like Ryan Shazier. Many of the NFL players are just freak athletes that could do things that weren’t sound but they were such great athletes they could get away with it. I mean, on my best day I couldn’t block Cam Heyward one-on-one for an extended period of time. They were such great athletes.
Were there guys who helped mentor you and helped with that transition?
In Pittsburgh, Al Villanueva was a good mentor. And Cody Wallace – he took me under his wing. I felt that the way he played – I tried to mirror that. We weren’t athletes like Pouncey and DeCastro were, but Cody played with tenacity – and he played smart – he leveraged his skillset well. I felt like he and I were similar in those ways and I picked his brain a lot.
You played center in the NFL – what makes the position more challenging from your perspective?
I can speak on my experience. I played left tackle in college and was moved inside in the NFL – to center and guard. The center is really the general of the offensive line – they make the key calls – recognizing things like where the Mike linebacker is. They have to understand everyone’s job and get everyone on the same page if there’s a bust in protection or things like that.
Hudson in Oakland and Pouncey – they were both very intelligent players. You have to be at center. Outside of quarterback, they are the ones adjusting protections and understanding everyone’s job. A good center will break the huddle, analyze what they are seeing after and at the line of scrimmage, then do the technical part of the job, which is blocking a human being that weighs over 300 pounds. So a good center will be able to analyze things pre-snap then adjust their mindset quickly to hit guys in a small area.
I read where you said Pittsburgh was your most enjoyable place to play. Why was that?
I think there’s a myriad of reasons. Pittsburgh had the culture of winning. They had core guys and coaches like Mike Tomlin – they had established that culture. Some teams continually try to find that culture but Pittsburgh always had it.
I also enjoyed playing for Coach Munchak. Just being in the film room with a guy who had been there and done that and earned a gold jacket – he forgot more that I’d ever know. Learning from him and from the rest of the guys that were very helpful to the younger guys was a great experience.
Any memories stand out most to you over your time in Pittsburgh – on or off the field?
I think one that stands out is the first time I had to go up against James Harrison. That will always stay in my memory. And the first time running out onto Heinz Field – that was a great moment.
What made the Harrison moment so memorable for you?
He was such a phenomenal player – he was the hero of the Super Bowl. Just to get my hands on him for a second – to have a moment – a blip in history – with a guy like that, who made history…it was a surreal moment. Going up against Shazier and Heyward – I had similar feelings then too.
How do you keep those feelings at bay when you’re facing those guys?
Off the field – I was never in awe of those guys in the locker room – just more on the field. But you don’t let it affect your play.
In Oakland I remember blocking Charles Woodson on a screen play. I remember watching him play as a kid. After the play I told him I looked up to him and he said “Thanks.” and gave me a slap on the butt. Moments like that are like pictures framed in my mind.
The biggest off-field moment was that talk with Al Villanueva – that private story he shared with me. I’ve been in the Army for six years now and it all started with him taking the time after a tough day at Latrobe to talk to me about the path I’d need to take to transition from the NFL to the Army.
One last thing I wanted to ask you – you are one of a handful of Americans to graduate from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which is England’s version of West Point. What was that experience like for you and how did it happen?
It was a pretty amazing experience. I applied to go and went through several interviews. I think they loved my story – that I could represent America and share our culture with the English. We share the same language of course but it was the chance for me to share our culture and learn theirs. I even took some of them to an NFL game when they played in London. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
And it goes back to my time in Pittsburgh as well. That time set me up to do well in the military. I appreciate the guys like Rocky Bleier who I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a bit, and Villanueva. They laid the groundwork for us all. They showed me that if this is what I wanted to do, that it was possible to do it.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
