First off, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your playing days?
Currently I’m the Managing Director at Brown Brothers Harriman – we’re a private partnership bank. We’re headquartered out of New York but I work here in Chicago – I moved here after I retired from football.
We’re a merchant bank – we give capital and advice to business owners – family and founder led businesses. We also help manage their liquidity – we’re a multi-family office as well that manages over $60 billion – $6 billion here in Chicago.
I also did 15 years before that in M&A andfF corporate finance before I transitioned to where I am now.
How did you football career help you in this financial career?
There are a lot of skills that are transferrable. Especially as a quarterback – the analytical skills you need for both and the need to grow your business in a competitive marketplace and differentiate ourselves – athletics teach that competitiveness and how to persevere and work hard in a team environment to collectively achieve a goal. It also teaches you how to have a tough skin – you’re told no a lot so you have to persevere and have a positive attitude when things don’t go your way.
Also – processing information in a short time and knowing what everyone is doing – that is important in both professions.
Looking back – did you know Pittsburgh had interest in you before they drafted you?
It was interesting – before the draft I was projected to go between round three and six. A week before the draft Philadelphia called my agent and asked if they could come to Duke or a private workout – if I’d be available – we said “Yeah!” Jon Gruden and Ray Rhodes came and Jon told me he thought they’d take me round three. They liked that I played in a West Coast offense. Rodney Peete I think was retiring so the position there was up for grabs.
I watched the draft by myself and Sal Paolantonio came on when it was close to the Eagle’s third-round pick – he talked about their workout with me at Duke, but Bobby Hoying was still there and they picked him. It was like a bait and switch. It was a shame – my best friend since high school Whit Marshall and my college teammate Ray Farmer were both drafted by the Eagles, so it would have been fun to be on the team with them.
I fell to Pittsburgh in round six. Neil O’Donnell had moved on so I thought it was a great opportunity to make the team. The wild card was Kordell Stewart – they weren’t sure yet if he’d be a quarterback or receiver then. When he played well that sealed my fate, even though I felt I had a good camp.
Did those guys help you in the Quarterback room? Jim Miller and Mike Tomczak were vets at that point.
The guys were great – it was a collegial group. Jim was really great – they were all talented – they all had strong arms. My arm was slightly above average – I could learn an offense quickly and was good at making quick reads. But those guys just had better arms – that was my hurdle.
It came down to Kordell – if he was a quarterback I was out – if he was a receiver I would have made the team.
Chan Gailey was also awesome. He lives near family I have near Athens, Georgia. I recently ran into him at a family wedding.
Give him any good-natured grief?
I did, yes! He laughed. I understood why they made the decision they did to release me. It was a unique experience – I appreciate it more now than I did when I was in the thick of it. You lose sight of it when you’re in it. I wish I had more fun with it – if I could do it over I would have had more fun with it.
How difficult is it as a lower-round pick when you don’t get the reps you need to prove yourself?
It is hard yeah. You don’t get a lot of reps – you have to make the most of what you get.
I remember when we went to Japan for a preseason game against San Diego. I finally got in to play and looked across the line of scrimmage. I figured at that point San Diego would have had its younger guys in, but when I looked it was Junior Seau looking across from me. I just thought “Oh gosh.”
Well, they called an easy play for my first play, just to get me acclimated. It was a short button hook pass to the tight end – right in front of me. An easy read. But when I dropped back the offensive line parted like the Red Sea and I started running, I got six yards before Seau tackled me and drove my head into the turf so hard my helmet broke the bridge of my nose. I didn’t feel it though – I ran back to the huddle and the linemen were yelling at me to get the hell out of there. There was blood everywhere.
So yeah, it’s tough as a sixth round pick! And at the time they were trying to get Kordell reps to see what he could do, and Jim and Mike were battling it out too. Cowher managed it as well as he could though.
What worked for you – and didn’t work as well for you – in camp?
Learning the offense – I knew where to go with the ball. Some throws I just wasn’t as prolific in. The deeper passes – I’ll just say it took a little longer for those to get there! But I was an accurate passer.
Will Howard – I watched him play at Ohio State – he reminds me of my situation. He has all of the physical skills. He has a strong-enough arm and is a proven winner. I was shocked he didn’t go higher. He peaked at the right time and made some outstanding throws at key moments. I thought when I watched him play that he was making pro QB throws.
Any other fun memories you can share of your time there in Pittsburgh?
The Japan experience was amazing. I was lucky – I had never been to Asia before. I think some other guys may think the broken nose on my first play was funny!
One other funny one was about my signing bonus. I hired an attorney to be my agent – he represented a couple of other players but he wasn’t a prolific agent. He was being a pitbull about my signing bonus though. I pulled up into camp and it still wasn’t resolved. He told me to wait outside the entrance – I had to report in 15 minutes! I told him he needed to get the deal done and he finally did. When I walked in Cowher just looked at me and said “Thank God we got that done. We couldn’t have started camp without you!”
What advice would you give a guy like Will Howard who was also drafted in the sixth round?
I’d say to be prepared – do all you can do and go in with the mindset that you’re the starter. Prepare like you’re the starter. Take mental reps when you’re not in there.
And have fun with it. Enjoy it. Because once it’s done, it’s done.
How as a young quarterback do you lead veteran players?
I was taking snaps from Dermontti Dawson and handing off to Jerome Bettis as a rookie. You need confidence – and confidence comes through preparation. You have to know the playbook and what everyone’s responsibilities are – that gives you real confidence. That confidence has to be authentic – veterans can sniff out when you’re trying to look like a leader.
And you have to be positive and show it in your body language. Players feed off of you. Even if you throw an interception, you have to show you know why it happened and what you’re doing and stay positive.