First, can you let us know what you’ve been up to since your playing days?
After football, I moved to Michigan and got married and had a son. We bought some property here and built a house. We’re on 20 acres of land here.
My old roommate at Wayne State – he worked at Enterprise Rent-a-Car and helped get me a job there. I started off as a trainee and went on to manage their vehicle repair and maintenance for Southeast Michigan for three years.
Now, I just recently took a job with Amazon working in their fulfillment center in Detroit.
Was the post-NFL transition difficult?
It wasn’t terrible. I had a plan. Since I was a kid all I knew and did was football. But I saw my career coming to an end. I finished my degree and prepared mentally for what I knew would be an entry level job. I was ok with that. I knew football wouldn’t last forever for me. So it wasn’t terrible – it just wasn’t easy either.
Stepping back – how did you end up in Pittsburgh?
I was picked up as a free agent by the Bears after the draft and was released after that. I didn’t get any calls from teams – so I took a job as a stocker at Costco when I got a random call from my agent saying the Steelers wanted to sign me to their practice squad.
Did you have any idea why they wanted to sign you?
No – I never spoke with them before the draft. I spoke to some teams but not the Steelers. As far as I know I had no connections with them at all.
So you get there – did any of the players there take you under their wing and help you out?
I’d say the entire offensive line helped me – Foster, Pouncey, Starks. They were all welcoming. My locker was next to Brett Keisel’s and he was nice and always willing to help too.
LaMarr Woodley played with my brother at Michigan so I had some connection with him there too.
Coming in from a smaller division II school, what was the biggest adjustment for you?
For sure, I’d say the biggest adjustment was when I was in college, I was always one of the biggest guys in the locker room. But in the NFL everyone is your size or bigger. The learning curve is bigger too.
LaMarr and the defensive guys would help me – they gave me some tips. “If you do that I’ll do this” kind of stuff.
Anything specific you remember?
The first week of training camp I went against LaMarr on the scout team. No one was really going full speed at that point. But I remember punching LaMarr off the line with both hands at once. He knocked them down and ran right by me. He told me that I can’t do that – that I needed to alternate using my hands or I’ll lean and he’ll run right by me.
Any funny moments that stand out?
Not so many really funny moments. I think the funniest thing I ever saw in practice was when some of the vets showed up in practice wearing Uggs. You know those savvy vets get away with more!
Other than that it was more just the joking around. Pouncey, Ben and Keisel were big jokesters. Pouncey and Foster together were a hoot.
That 2012 was a rough season – especially at the start. How did the team handle it?
We started off poorly – we won a handful of games at the end but we had a rough start. It got serious in the building. No one was comfortable – we were all there to win.
That’s when some of the players decided to take away all of the games in the locker room. They said no one should be having fun until we started winning. They also had a couple player-only meetings led by the vets.
Do you remember who led all of that?
I’m not sure – I think it was Troy, Foster, Ben, Keisel – those guys.
What are some of the on-field memories – in practice or games – that stand out to you?
On the scout team I got to go against the best of the best. I went against Keisel in camp – he was so well-known there then. On one play I was successful blocking him – I had a good block and the coaches yelled out to me “If you can do that to Brett Keisel you’ll be successful in the NFL!”
What if anything held you back?
My flexibility. As a tackle I think they felt very comfortable that I could step in if someone went down with an injury. But they needed someone who was more versatile – who could play guard too. I never played guard – they were working on that with me while I was there. I think they were happy with my tackle play though.
What happened that had you go to the Bears?
At the very end of the season Chicago claimed me off the practice squad on to their active roster. The Steelers told me I was right there – ready to take the next step, but then Chicago claimed me.
I always thought about that. I am thankful to everyone who helped me but I wish I stayed sometimes. The active roster money was good, but I think if I stayed in Pittsburgh I would have made the team the next season. Hindsight is what it is.
What did you make of Ben’s last season – any thoughts or memories of him?
He was always a good guy. I was a nobody really when I got there but he was helpful and friendly. He was a great team guy and always took care of his offensive linemen. Got them gifts and went to movies with them. He spent a lot of time in the offensive line room building camaraderie. He was a savvy vet.
Lastly – any thoughts on the way the game has changed? Still watch football?
Once I was out of football after Chicago there was a period of time where I stopped watching completely. But in the last few years I got back into it. I like watching the offensive line play – it’s a totally different game now.
Do you like the changes?
I like the old game better, The scrappy play. I’m not a fan of the targeting rules. I liked when players just put on their helmets and shoulder pads and went all out. I’m all about player safety but I miss that old style of football.
Any last thoughts on your career?
Of all the places I lived when I played, Pittsburgh was my favorite. If I ever moved out of Michigan I’d love to go live in Pittsburgh. It’s a great city – and great people.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
