First, can you let me know what you got into career-wise after your football career?
I went back home after I was done with football – I needed three hours to graduate so I did that and got my degree. Of course I never ended up using it – I got a job working on an oil rig then went and sold oil field services after that for 45 years. I had the personality to do that then. I retired about five years ago.
Besides that, I had a family, did a lot of hunting and fishing and eating and entertaining!
Was the post-football adjustment difficult?
It was a rough two years after I was done, to be honest. I still get jittery every August when camp starts. I get antsy and have to step back from my family a bit and catch my breath. I have a tough time in August but after that I’m ready to go. I’m still an advocate for the game. I hate all of the baloney but I love the game.
How did you find out you were drafted by the Steelers – and did you know they had interest in you?
I played in the East-West Shrine Bowl game in Palo Alto and Denver showed interest in me there. After that I flew to Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl. The Steelers coaches were there, along with Miami. Miami worked me out but the Steelers didn’t really talk to me.
A week later Dan Radakovich from the Steelers flew in and worked me out for half a day. I was still beat up from the prior week and he worked my ass off! He beat the hell out of me but I was excited that the Steelers were interested in me. He worked with me a lot on step-back pass blocking – that was a big thing for him. Then he left. I told him I hope it all went alright, and he just said “We’ll be in touch.”
Then they drafted you…
I thought I would get drafted in the fourth round. Maybe by Miami or Denver. I was shocked when the Steelers drafted me in the second round. There was actually a TV crew in my apartment filming the draft. It was all embarrassing for me – I was humble then! I was just hoping to get drafted by round four.
Did anyone take you under their wing when you got there?
Webster did – I was a center and as long as he was there I wasn’t going to be starting. I played some guard too behind Sam Davis and Gerry Mullins. After camp I lived with Webster for six months – I stayed in his basement and saved up enough money to put a down payment on a house after that.
I was put on IR in camp – back then you couldn’t come off IR and play that season once you were on it. I was stuck there. I had a neck injury and also had a knee injury from college at the same time. The knee injury really cost me my career.
The next season they had me play defensive lineman early in camp. I was running those drills and pass rushing. I originally played offense in college because it was better for my knee. I was actually shocked they drafted me in the second round knowing I had that knee injury. I ended up blowing it out before the major training camp started that second season. They were going to still hang on to me but I needed another knee surgery and they didn’t want me to have it. So they traded me to the Giants. I lasted there two weeks then worked out for the Eagles, Oilers and Saints but couldn’t pass their physicals.
Any fun memories of your time there in Pittsburgh?
I rode to work together with Terry Bradshaw in the mornings. I stayed later after practice to catch passes from him – he always threw 100 passes after practice.
This was when Terry was trying to start his singing career and all the way into work I had to listen to him singing to his eight-track. “Jim – what do you think of that one?”, he’d ask. I told him “It was a good thing you know how to throw a football! You suck Terry!”
Well after that, in practice, when I was snapping him the ball he’d move his hands under me and whack me in the nuts on purpose. He wasn’t happy that I insulted his singing! After that I told him I loved his music!
In the offseason I would go to Wisconsin with Webby and hunt and fish with him. I just remember that he was so dedicated to his workouts. He couldn’t miss one. Nothing was more important to him than working out. And they were very strenuous. He and Kolb – those two were the hardest working players I met.
Any other memories stand out?
My locker was next to Joe Greene’s. Every morning he’d greet me “Good morning Mr. Files! How are you today?” Then he’d beat the hell out of you on the practice field! But he taught you as he did it – he’d show you what he was doing. After a while I held my own against the guys because of it.
Lambert was a loner. He’d sit on a bench by himself and read. I was the same way so we spoke some.
What was he reading?
Books on the outdoors. Even then he knew he wanted to do something away from all of the lights. He knew then he was going to do something outdoors.
I also had major battles with Ernie Holmes. I was the center and he was an inside tackle so we had some tough battles. We got into some fights, he and I – but they all showed me that I could play at that level.
Any on-field memories stand out?
My first game I played in was the last preseason game of my first season there. It was against the Saints – my hometown team. I went up against a Saints Hall of Fame player in Bob Pollard. It was the fourth quarter and I was playing guard. My first play, Terry told us we were going to run it with Rocky right behind me, up my butt, just to get things over with. I got in my stance and Pollard lined up inside of me and Webster, who was at center. He moved to the outside of my shoulder and I thought that was perfect for me. I could fire off and take him up the line.
Well, the ball was snapped and I fired out, and Pollard jumped inside and gave me a swim move and nailed Rocky for a loss. I told Rocky I was sorry, that I missed that one. He said “No shit! He hammered me!”
Pollard set me up. He knew as a rookie that I wouldn’t expect him to jump back inside like that. He was just so quick. But I didn’t let him do that to me again!
Any other thoughts on your time there?
I still love my Steelers! I was able to go to training camp a couple of years ago with my wife. That was a fun time. I saw Rocky and Franco there. Franco was just a super human being. I really enjoyed being there.
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