First off, can you let me know what you’re up to now and how the post-NFL transition went for you?
I last put on my pads in 2016. Now, I’m an admissions counselor at the University of Washington.
The first couple of years, the transition was a struggle – as it is for a lot of guys that go through injuries and who didn’t get a chance after the injury. I didn’t get picked up after my injury in Pittsburgh and that has an affect on you. Certainly I went though it.
Now I’m back in Seattle living my life – I’m married and have a little one on the way.
How did the injury impact your career?
They gave me the opportunity to rehab back home. As a 23-year old rookie it was easy to be around my family and have their support. It was good at the time. I was cut by the Steelers before the next season and hoped to get picked up by another team, but I didn’t get picked up by an NFL team. I did get picked up by the BC Lions in the CFL but that was late into their camp. The coaches said they liked me but because I arrived there late and they had to maintain a certain Canadian to American player ratio, I was cut. The coaches said I was one of the better offensive linemen there but I just was there too late.
How did the injury happen?
I tore my Achilles my rookie year in practice. I was working on the scout team with the offensive linemen and as we were warming up, I heard a pop. It felt like someone kicked me from behind but no one was there. I got up and I couldn’t pull my foot up – it felt like I was standing on a slant board. I told Coach Munchak something felt weird and tried to take a step and stumbled.
What did the Steelers tell you about how they would address the injury?
Coach Munchak checked up on me. When it happened all the vets ran up to me – Pouncey, Villanueva, Gilbert, DeCastro…. I didn’t know what was going on so they took me to the trainer who said I tore my Achilles. I just remember saying “No! I worked so hard for this!”
They told me I’d get surgery the next morning and Coach Munchak told me that after that they’d make sure all was good then have me stay around the team. They wanted me to learn the lingo and stick around the team to learn all I could. After camp the players all went home and the team gave me a choice of rehabbing back home in Hawaii or staying in Pittsburgh. I didn’t know many people in Pittsburgh and the players all went back home so as a 22-year old, I didn’t want to stay in Pittsburgh pretty much by myself, so I told them I’d go home.
It turned out to be one of the stupidest decisions I ever made. I should have stayed and acclimated myself to the team more and culture. To learn as much as I could from the coaches. I flew in a couple of times for checkups but that was it. Staying there would have helped me for sure.
Did anyone help you out the most while you were there?
Beachum, Pouncey, DeCastro, Villanueva, Hubbard, Gilbert – they were all cool with the rookies and helped us to understand the terminology.
The biggest thing was just them supporting me – telling me to keep grinding and get back when I could. I was cleared to play after the playoffs, but that next March I was cut, I didn’t find out from the team – I found out online. My agent called the team to ask what happened but we never really got an answer. No one called me or my agent to let us know.
Were there any good memories that stand out for you of your time there?
Mostly the jokes we all cracked. If you’re not joking you’re not having fun. It’s a real job – you beat up your body and practice every day – you have to have some fun to break it up.
Pouncey told a lot of jokes – he looked intimidating and played that way, but he was a humble, funny guy. He was a good guy to be around.
Do you watch the Steelers today?
For me, getting signed by the Steelers was a dream come true. I started off as a Chargers fan as a kid, then when Troy became a Steeler I switched my allegiance to the Steelers. When I got to Pittsburgh it was like a dream. Growing up in Hawaii, Troy was my idol. I got there right after he retired. I was just like, “Oh man! I just missed getting the chance to be there with him!” I had my Polynesian hair just like Troy’s. When I’d walk around the facility guys would see me from behind and yell “Hey Troy!” Then I’d turn around and they were like “Oh, never mind!”
How did that Polynesian heritage influence you?
That Hawaiian/Polynesian heritage meant a lot. Seeing people who look like us on the big screen – you took pride in that. Troy was my idol – once I got to the University of Washington I started growing my hair out like my friend there was doing who was also a Polynesian player. I had my hair down to my waist.
We love seeing other Polynesian players showing out – we love rooting for each other. For sure, we have what we often call that “Warrior mentality”. A lot of us grew up without many riches – a lot of us came from lower incomes and harder backgrounds. We had to fight for everything. I think that’s why you see a lot of Polynesians in professional sports and in the military. That warrior mentality in the athletic realm drives us to be successful.
Did you ever get the chance to meet Troy?
As a kid I met him at a fundraiser my parents took me to in Hawaii. But that was 10-to-15 years before I played in the NFL. My friend Ta’amu Alameda did get the chance to though.
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