Exclusive with Former Steelers Quarterback Todd Blackledge, 1988-1989

First, can you let me know what you’ve been focusing on since your time in the NFL?

Well, I’ve been a college football analyst for ESPN – now going on my 29th year. I’ve been calling college football games for the last 12 years with ESPN.

I majored on speech with an emphasis on broadcasting at Penn State. This is what I always though I wanted to do. I just didn’t know for sure until I had a chance to get into it after I stopped playing.

Was the post-NFL adjustment difficult for you?

It’s always hard no matter who you are. There’s nothing like playing the game. I loved playing – and playing it for  living was special, It’s a big hole – a big void to fill. You miss the locker room – the comradery. There’s nothing else that simulates that. I was fortunate to be around the business – to watch and study games film – that helped with the adjustment. I was able to make being around the game a career. But even with that I have to say it was still hard at first and it took me a while to get into the career.

Stepping back into your playing days – were you surprised Kansas City drafted you so high?

I was a little surprised. I wasn’t surprised I was drafted in round one – I had a good idea from our talks with teams that would happen.. I knew teams were interested but I thought in the 13th to 15th pick range with teams like the Jets, Patriots, and Bills. In that area. The Chiefs had a much higher pick but I never had any real contact with them before the draft.

How shocked were you to be traded to Pittsburgh later?

I liked Kansas City – I loved the town and wanted it to work out there. But there was so much turnover. Just little stability there at the time. Pittsburgh was the opposite. They were a stable organization – they were consistent winners. I agreed to the trade. And my dad being there was a nice caveat for me. But I loved Kansas City though and wish it had worked out there.

Any of the guys help take you under their wing a bit, being on a new team in a new city?

It was a quality organization. From the Rooneys to Chuck Noll, to the veteran players. They were all great – they welcomed me. It was about winning for them. They expected to win. That was the biggest difference from Kansas City – they guys in Kansas CIty were great too but they just weren’t as consistent – they didn’t know what success was like. Pittsburgh then – with Shell, Webby, Tunch and Wolfley – they were good leaders who knew how to win and be pros.

What was it like playing with your dad as the offensive line coach there at the same time? The line block a little better for you?

Ha no – nothing like that. My dad was an integral part of my life as an athlete growing up. We were both three-sport athletes so he tutored and instructed me, but he never coached any of the teams I played for growing up. So it was ironic to have him be there those last two years I was playing in Pittsburgh. Just seeing him coaching the players and going to the airport together for road games was a special thing for me to get to do.

And you got to play alongside Bubby Brister – what was he like?

Bubby and I were very different. He was talented – he liked to play by the seat of his pants and that worked for him. He was confident in himself and his arm and his ability. We were very different people. I can tell you he never let a meeting room get boring!

Any memories of your time in Pittsburgh stand out to you?

I will tell you this – I never got the lowdown on this. There was a guy that practiced there every day – Terry Stubbs. He was in his 30’s or 40’s – he came to practice every day in football  equipment that the trainers let him put on in another room and a shirt pulled over his pads with a picture of Bugs Bunny on it. He would shag balls and run after errant punts and passes. Every knew him – he dressed down the hall from the players. But I never knew why he was there.

You follow the Penn State guys now that the Steelers draft or sign?

Yeah – I always pay attention to the Penn State guys. Pittsburgh is one of the greatest football cities. There’s none better. There’s a toughness about the team and city and the team is a perfect fit for the city. It’s a special place – and there are so many Penn State connections to the Pittsburgh area. There will always be a special tie between the school and city. Franco, Ham – I still see those guys. I sit on the board of directors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and there I really look at it more from the standpoint of Penn State versus Steelers guys.

It’s interesting you bring up the Hall of Fame as I just spoke with the outgoing Executive Director Joe Horrigan, who lamented the way analytics, social media, and fantasy football have affected the NFL game fro the fan perspective. Any thoughts on that as a college guy?

Well, technology can be a good thing, but it’s not always a good thing. Social media can be a negative too.

Analytics help to a certain degree. At ESPN I get stuff from provided to me by researchers all the time. Some of it is applicable, but some I just chuck to the side. I can’t process it – it doesn’t work for me.

I work more on the college game – that’s where I spend my time and focus. There you’re talking about 18 to 24 year-olds with girlfriends and lots of stuff going on in their lives. I don’t think analytics take that human element into account enough for me. .

Thoughts on the Pitt-Penn State rivalry? Would you like to see that continue?

I always said that it should, yes. It should continue. I had the privilege of playing in that rivalry and I’d put it against any others out there. I look at those games we played n the 80’s – I look at those rosters. There were so many NFL players on those teams. Those three years I played – those games were as good as any rivalry out there. Now, you can’t recapture that playing two years here and taking years off and playing a couple of times again. It has to be every year. There was always a lot on the line when we played. I know other rivalries like Texas versus Texas A&M have also gone away. But that Pitt versus Penn State game was one of the best every year. Pitt beat Penn State three years ago but Penn State has gotten after Pitt the past couple of years.

Lastly, as a guy who follows the college game so closely, what do you think the next big ways the college game will impact how the NFL game is played?

For sure, we’re already seeing the creative way college offenses have impacted the way quarterbacks are used in the NFL. 15 years ago, you couldn’t even suggest that a guy with Kyle Murray’s stature could be drafted that high. But now, with what offenses are doing at the NFL level with quarterbacks, it’s not a big deal. You see guys like Russell Wilson and Drew Brees have success – that shows the way the game has changed and the position has changed. There’s a premium on quarterbacks that can make plays on their own. RPOs are now common at the NFL level. Offensive linemen can block further downfield at the college level so they are easier there, but you still see them run in the NFL. I just think you’ll continue to see the college game change the way the NFL plays football.

Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades.  To order, just click on the book: