First, what have you been up to since your playing days?
I’m not up to much now. I’m coaching my eight-year old son’s football and basketball teams – that’s pretty much it. I retired in 2010. I met my now ex-wife on the Millionaire Matchmaker reality show, moved to Scottsdale, Arizona and then got divorced. So I’m splitting raising my son now.
What started the coaching interest? Any other interests?
I love coaching – I’m the head coach of both teams. He gets to play with his friends and I get to teach him right, like my dad did me.
I was playing a ton of golf but I just had a disectomy so I have to go slow for a while, which is killing me. I hate not being able to do anything. I used to work out every day and am going to get back to normal soon.
I also did some TV and radio in Canada for 20 years. But I’m devoted to my son now – I built my whole life around him. I lost my sister to ALS three years ago and my dad passed away two years ago – he had Parkinson’s. And my mother just passed away six months ago from Covid. It’s been a tough run dealing with all of this extra stuff, but I’m getting through it all.
I owned some restaurants and clubs but those went horribly bad. I invested in cannabis dispensaries and growing too, but those investments went belly up. My North Star is still my son – we are having fun together. I’m going to take him to a Steelers game this year. I think.
You have to let the team know!
Oh I will! I want all of the bells and whistles and milk it for all it’s worth! I took him to a Vikings game years ago since I played for them for six years and they were amazing with us. I want to take my son to a Steelers game next before I lose all of my credit!
How did you get involved in the restaurant and Millionaire Matchmaker stuff?
I owned some restaurants and clubs in Vancouver but those went horribly bad. I had a shady partner who lost all of the money – he screwed us over.
And yeah, I was asked to be on the first Bachelor Canada – but I wanted to host it not be on it! I was trying to develop my TV career. I was 40 – the other guys were in their 20’s! But I was invited later on for a screen test and said yes to the Millionaire Matchmaker.
Your football career started in Canada – what was high school football like in Canada?
My dad was born and raised in Homestead near Pittsburgh – his grandfather was the Chief of Police. So he grew up as a big Steelers fan of course. I was the only guy kid in British Columbia that was a big Steelers fan. All the other kids were playing hockey – I didn’t even know how to skate! My dad was in the Air Force and was stationed in British Columbia. That how we got there – I have dual citizenship.
My dad coached football for seven and eight-year olds – I was only six but he got me in. We played by CFL rules and kids were encouraged to kick to get two extra points. I was an All Star soccer player and my dad taught me how to use those skills to kick field goals and extra points. He actually taught me using a handbook he found.
When I was 13 I played safety, quarterback and kicked – I never got off the field. My dad found a good kicking camp in Washington State run by Ray Poultney. We’d go over the border and did a father and son camp together there. He filmed me and took notes. I competed there against all of the American kids.
How did you find your way to Colorado?
When I was a Senior in high school I was rated the best kicker in Canada – not that any of the colleges in the US heard about that! All the interest I got was a half-scholarship my dad got me to Chadron State College in Nebraska – an NCAA Division II school. That was all I could get at the time.
I went back to the kicking camp and was beating the shit out of the other kids. My kicking coach asked me where I was going to school and when I told him he said he was going to make some calls. He got me a full scholarship to Tyler Junior College in Texas, so I went there. I cried myself to sleep the first few days, it was such a culture shock! But I was an All-American kicker there that first year. Colorado was looking for transfers to come in – they lost a lot of guys to the NFL and needed a punter. So they found me. They had All American punters there – so I went there.
Anyone help mentor you early on when you went to the NFL?
I was cut five times over those first few years in the NFL. Eddie Murray tried to help me in Philadelphia – he was a fellow Canadian. I was kicking like a rookie – I just wasn’t consistent.
I went to Minnesota as what I figured was a last-ditch effort. I was going to go to the CFL if that didn’t work – as a Canadian I was a first-round pick there. The Vikings Special Teams Coach then was Gary Zauner – he was a kicking guru – a former kicker himself. He liked that I could punt, kick, and hold for kicks. Not many special teams coaches could actually coach kickers – most were never kickers themselves. But he could. He knew how to work with me and how to deal with the mentality of a kicker. He told me it didn’t matter what I did – not to worry – they weren’t going to cut me. Now, if I was terrible I’m sure they would have! But he knew to say that to me.
What did you need to work on?
I had a huge leg – that’s what got me into the NFL. Teams liked that because I could handle the longer kickoffs – that’s when the NFL moved kickoffs back to the 30. But I needed to be more consistent. I needed help on my technique and on how to prepare. It also didn’t hurt that I as cheaper than the veterans as a rookie.
How did you find your way to the Steelers?
I was in Minnesota for six years, the Rams for one year then New Orleans for four. My last year though in New Orleans I was on IR. I tore my groin and had to have my lower abdomen re-attached. They cut me injured after the year was over. I was rehabbing after that and had no team for 16 months. Then in 2007 the Cardinals signed me to kick for the last four weeks of the season. I was ok but they didn’t bring me back. I was pissed and went to talk to the GM. I told him that I would beat out anybody in camp – to sign me. The GM was Rod Graves. After that conversation he went and told Ken Whisenhunt that I was talking shit and wouldn’t sign me because of my attitude! I was just being confident but he misunderstood me.
That year was when Dan Sepulveda blew out his knee. The Steelers brought in Paul Ernster for a week then brought me in to compete with him. Paul was younger and a bit raw. I ended up getting the job.
How did it go there at the start?
I brought my dad to the first game – that was the best day of my career. He and my mom, his best friend that he played street ball with, and his wife – they all came to see me play. It was great to see me play for his hometown team. It was a great time – the first time I was ever in Pittsburgh with my dad.
Then we went to the playoffs and I brought my family to the Ravens game. I had a great game until I chunked the last kick though – thank God for Troy and his interception! I have no idea what happened on that kick – the ground was frozen but that wasn’t the reason. I kicked it so poorly and gave the Ravens such good field position.
The last time all of my family was together was at the Super Bowl. My father wasn’t able to to be on the field due to his Parkinson’s issues then, but I gave a friend of mine my camera and had him film everything after we won. I had security escort me up to my dad in the stands – I ran up to see him and that was an amazing feeling, to be able to whisper in his ear that I won one for him.
That was the last time my family was all together.
How hard was it coming to a team later in the season – who helped welcome you on and off the field?
I knew Jerome Bettis some – we hung out a bit in the offseason. Jeff Reed and I hung out a lot – Greg Warren was great too. All the guys really were great. I was older but had a reputation that I liked to have fun. I took work seriously but when work was done I liked to have fun too.
I interviewed Mike Tomlin a couple of years later. I asked him then if he knew anyone who had more fun than Mitch Berger! I took my career seriously but the Canadian came out in me too and I liked to go out and have fun!
All the good teams – they went out and had drinks together – they had fun together. The defensive backs invited me to the DB rookie night. I hung out with the offensive linemen. You didn’t see what often with punters.
Any memories stand out most?
I loved watching Troy sing and dance to the music we played at practice. He was much louder and more fun than he was when he was in public.
Teams that partied together played well together. That was almost always the case. Except in New Orleans – we partied together but we sucked! In Pittsburgh we all liked each other – there were no politics. When I got hurt and was cut and brought back, no one was tough on me when I struggled. They were all supportive.
One other is after the Ravens playoff game, we were in the film sessions and meetings that week, Tomlin showed me punting well to everyone and was telling everyone how great of a punter I was in the meetings. He was clearly stroking me – trying to keep my confidence up – maybe because of that punt against the Ravens. Everyone made fun of me after that. “Oh Mitch you’re the greatest!” they were saying to me! I knew exactly what he was doing – I was a veteran – I knew what was going on.
Of course the next season they didn’t invite me back to camp! I knew I was a placeholder for Dan {Sepulveda}. I had no problems with it.
You liked to get physical too – a lot of tackles for a punter. What inspired that part of your game?
It was a personal challenge for me to tackle someone on a kickoff. I didn’t want it to be 10 guys on coverage and one joke. I played safety in high school and I knew that if a returner gets past the hole at full speed it was over. I wanted to make a play if I could.
It was also a good way to earn respect from your teammates. If you knock someone out you get instant respect. I decleated a guy in Minnesota – his heels went over his head. I remember standing over him yelling at him “You just got knocked out by a fucking kicker!” The guys all lifted me up and were going nuts after that hit!
What are your thoughts looking back over your career?
Winning a Super Bowl and playing for my dad’s hometown team – that was all pretty cool. When we went back for our 10-year reunion – the 70’s team had its reunion at the same time. That was a huge thrill. I got pictures and videos of those guys and sent them to my dad. Those were his favorite players – that was a big highlight.
My dad is in the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame as a builder – on June first I joined him. That’s another big thrill – and I’m up now for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame now too.
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