First, can you let me know what you’re up to now?
I’m the General Manager now Of BURN by Rocky Patel here in Indiana. We had one near the stadium in Pittsburgh. I did a lot of work there with Mike Linkovich – the General Manager there. We went there a lot with coaches and players and their families and associates – we’d go there and have a good time and hold meetings and events there.
I settled here after working for Pepsi when Mike approached me about this opportunity. It fit my skillsets – I love people and building relationships. He thought this would be a good fit. I’m all about people.
What drives that relationship-building love for you?
I just love doing it – it goes a long way, building relationships. People don’t always see the value in it. You can do business and still have outstanding relationships. That’s what drives me – that’s who I was even when I played football. I always value this relationships and mentored other players.
What drove you to take the job in Pittsburgh?
I was in Chicago doing the same job – but you know how the business of football is. I was let go when a new GM and head coach came in – they didn’t retain me. I met Coach Tomlin at the combine. Our combine office where we interview players was next to theirs, and we had a couple of good conversations. He would also come to the University of South Carolina when I was there and heard good things about me then. So I guess I made the short list! I was blessed to get the call.
Ray Jackson held the position before me in Pittsburgh and he went to Denver. I didn’t know it at the time but we both interviewed for that position. But Ray recommended me to Coach Tomlin as well.
What were they looking for from you in the interview?
They wanted someone who could communicate well and who had a good network. I had that in New York – I was friends with Troy Vincent. Also, being a former player was key. I didn’t have to prove anything to current players or coaches. Players and coaches remember you as a former player. So those things played a part.
Also, things like integrity and character mattered a lot to them. The ability to move on the fly. One of the best things about Coach Tomlin was that he focused on the things you could do and selected you for those things. Like for me, I could coach defense and special teams some too. He focused less on your deficiencies – instead he cared about what you did well. Anyone can poke holes in your resume. He showed me that no matter who you are, you have value.
What did Pittsburgh do differently with the position from those other teams you worked for?
Pittsburgh didn’t put limitations on the position. Others teams wanted you to just do this or that. Pittsburgh was different – it was a smaller facility – we were all closer to one another. It didn’t have that traditional corporate structure either. They cared for everybody – if there was a family issue you could walk into Mr. Rooney’s office or Coach Tomlin’s office and talk to them. Kevin Colbert too. They were there for you.
Coach Tomlin – his whole demeanor and personality was the key to their success. He was the real key, regardless of the criticism he got at times for not winning certain games.
What was different about the programs you implemented?
The rookie program was really good. We brought in the families of the draft class to help them understand what they were headed into,. We talked to them about needing a partnership with them to help us get their son to that next contract. Players do more for their families and that can sometimes not be a good thing. Sometimes families are not as helpful. So we talked to them about how they could work with us more. We took them downtown to the Omni Hotel for financial sessions and had folks from the NFL come in to talk to players about benefits. We took them on tours of the city and Heinz Center – and took them to St. Vincents to see where training camp was.
In the rookie symposium I had Mr. Rooney talk to the players. Everywhere I’ve done this work I had the owners come in and talk to the rookies. And we had corporate partners come in and talk to them about getting involved in businesses and 501 (c)(3)s and to get them involved in the community.
What are some of the memories or tasks you enjoyed most?
Bud Dupree was the first pick I ever worked with in Pittsburgh – Levonte David was my first in Tampa Bay. Picking them up at the airport – I loved doing that. Meeting them at the gate with all of the Steelers camera people there and people yelling “That’s Bud Dupree!” Then when the draft was over going back a week later to get the rest of the picks. Seeing them come down the escalator… I just remember thinking that these dudes don’t know what they are getting into! You become the person they rely on – like a big brother or uncle.
What would surprise fans about the process?
I don’t think they realize how tough it is – how much the team does for the players and what my role does for them. Our job is to get them in the best position to make the football team.
The volume of tasks that have to be done in those two-and-a-half months before the season starts. The flights, shuttles, hotels – all of that work just to get them started and situated. It’s every day – and we build out all the programs for them. It’s usually just one person on most teams, too.
What are some of the funniest memories you have?
The rookie shows in camp., Every camp has rookie shows where they can make fun of anybody. The head coach is usually top of the list. In Pittsburgh they’d dress and talk like Mike T. Cam Heyward was targeted a lot of course. AB too – he was always a talker. Coach Daniels was a target too, as was Danny Smith – they’d make fun of his chewing and spitting and the way he talked.
Even I was targeted – they’d make fun of the way I did my presentations. I used to say “I played for 12 years” a lot to let them know not everybody gets a career that long. But they’d make fun of that.
Also – the AFC Championship game versus New England. We had a lot of young guys – but we were able to go out there and compete. It didn’t go well – we just didn’t show up that day. But it was a great experience to get there. A couple of years later we lost to Jacksonville.
But the collection of talent we had there then – it was the most talented team I was involved with for except for the Panthers team I went to the Super Bowl with, and maybe the Jacksonville team that lost to the Patriots in the playoffs. New England put me out of a lot of chances to win a Super Bowl!
Those are times that really stand out though – those games. Athletes get a bad rap sometimes – but people don’t understand how hard it is to get to the NFL – or to stay there. You don’t realize what it takes to do that until you’re done sometimes.
What caused you to leave the team in 2021?
It was just a change of direction. I wanted to do more with the team and that didn’t match up with the direction of the team. I still stay in touch with Coach T. It was nothing big – just time for me to pursue a different direction.
What do you think is the biggest thing rookies have to overcome, from your experience working with them?
To understand that the sand is running out for everybody. Tomlin used to tell them that. The hourglass turns over the moment you get there. Everybody has a clock – no one plays as long as they want to. Young guys don’t realize that. It’s even true on the coaching side. They often don’t realize that they have to make the most of every opportunity to continue that journey.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
