First off, what have you been up to since your time playing professional football?
I’m in the medical device industry now – working for Arthrex here in Michigan. After I was released by the Steelers I got a job working for them in Milwaukee. A couple of years later my now wife returned from her tenure in Iceland and we got married. She was a goalkeeper for the Wisconsin Hockey team – she was a much better athlete than I was! She was from Michigan -we decided after that to move back to Michigan where she was from.
Why did you decide to stop playing after Pittsburgh?
I kept training for a bit – I had a couple of tryouts with the Bears and Cowboys and worked at a paint factory for a short while. I remember the day I decided to move on, clearly. I was doing squats and said “I’m done.” It was time to move on. I got a job doing something that was also very competitive – that competitive spirit never goes away.
You studied kinesiology at Wisconsin – did that help you as a player?
Yeah – kinesiology opened my eyes on how to recover. I was fortunate to have a great offensive line at Wisconsin and in Pittsburgh – I was never hurt much. But it helped me to understand how to take care of my arm and shoulder. To take care of my body. Recovery is so important – especially for older guys as they realize it takes and extra day or two to spring back.
Why did you decide to sign with the Steelers – did they express interest in you earlier?
They were the only team that gave me an offer. I only started five games as a Senior. I didn’t have a big resume. I was just interested in getting on a team and having a chance to have a chance. That was the goal. The Steelers drafted Josh Dobbs that same season and had Landry Jones and Ben, of course.
I don’t think I was on their radar until Wisconsin’s Pro Day. The Steelers were there to look at some guy named Watt and some other guys. They were having guys do some coverage drills and had me throw the ball. Vince Biegel – my former roommate – and TJ Watt were doing the drills, covering each other just to see how they did in coverage. I’m not sure if many people know this but TJ was a great tight end before they moved him to defense – he ran great routes. Well in the pro day he made a nice catch -I placed the ball well and I think the Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler saw that and thought I could be a good camp arm at least. That’s where the exposure came from.
Did any of the veterans help you out when you got there? How so?
Landry Jones did – he was a good guy – very easy to talk to. He helped show me what to do and not do. I watched him and that helped me learn how to be a pro. Ben was 20 years older than I was – he didn’t want to talk much to me! But if I asked him a question he’s answer it. I talked to him about why he wouldn’t just throw it to Antonio Brown every time! Even when he was double-covered he’d get open and he’d draw guys away from coverage for other receivers. I never had anyone at the caliber before.
What was it like getting on the field for that first time – and what stands out most over your on-field time there?
It was surreal – it was awesome. Playing the Falcons – we were on the four yard-line and for some reason their corner was playing five yards off out receiver. I bet on our guy and threw it to Justin Hunter for the touchdown. After the game it was great too catching up with my former Wisconsin teammates who were playing for the Falcons – Austin Hooper and Terron Ward. Connecting with them and getting a picture with them was amazing.
What about off the field – any memories stand out?
It was amazing how many Xboxes and PlayStations there were in camp! Guys worked hard but they all had their way of decompressing at camp. My roommate was Terrell Watson – he gave me a lot of advice on how to stick in the league as a journeyman player.
The team comradery stands out. There was a UFC fight we watched at the facility and seeing the young bucks and veterans interact and bet on the fight was fun. It was funny seeing how wild Maurkice Pouncey got when he won and the side bet he had with Tomlin!
We also had to do skits and I did an impersonation of Garrett Giemont.
How did that go?
It wasn’t the first time someone did that of him! I’d give myself a B – he’d probably give me a D!
What did they say to you when they released you?
The writing was always on the wall. The drafted Josh Dobbs and didn’t keep four guys. I knew my time was short, but I still gave her hell!
They brought me in to the room and Mike Tomlin told me he loved my fire and that if Ben got hurt they’d give me a call and bring me in. Ben got hurt a lot in the years before but not that year! But good for him!
It’s a business. I got the chance to chase my dream. I told Tomlin I’ll be here if he needs me.
How do you handle the struggle to get reps and knowing that that writing is on the wall – how do you work through that?
You take it day-by-day. You know where you are and where you want to be – unfortunately it just didn’t work out. But there is always something after football. I always had a good head on my shoulders and can cope with that stuff well. And in the industry I’m in if you dwell on the past too long the competition beats you out.
I had fun and met a lot of great people – it was a great experience. I have a wonderful wife and two wonderful little girls. Life is great!