Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Charley Scales, 1960-1961

First, let me know what you were with yourself after the NFL?

My last year in the NFL was 1966 – I played for Atlanta then went to work for Westinghouse for nine years. After that I worked for Volkswagon until they closed. I went back to school after that and became a physical therapist until I retired when I was 62 years old. I had enough of the workforce – I let someone else have at it!

Was that post-NFL adjustment difficult then?

Back in the 60’s, we didn’t make money like the guys today do. It wasn’t tough because in the offseasons we all had jobs. Once the ’60 season ended in December on a Sunday game, the Monday after I was delivering mail with a mail sack on the North Side. Back then they needed extra guys over Christmas because of all of the Christmas cards people sent.

I sold cars and worked in a butcher shop in Homestead. After that I was in the best shape I was ever in before training camp! Working in a butcher shop was tough work!

So after all of that, the transition to life after football wasn’t so hard.

You ended up in Pittsburgh in ’60 – how did that happen?

I wasn’t drafted. I only went to college for one year at Indiana on a scholarship, but had to quit after that because my father passed away – he was only 54 years-old. So I had to go and help out – that’s what you did back then.

I came home and worked and played semi-pro football in Pittsburgh. They only had 12 NFL teams back then – the AFL started in 1960. So I played for the Duquesne Ironmen of the All-American Conference for two years. There was a lot of good talent in the league then.

I got a call from Baltimore in 1959 – they wanted to sign me. But back then you could only sign with a team after your college class graduated. Even though I didn’t graduate and only played one year, I couldn’t sign with them yet.

So I played another year with Duquesne, and then the Steelers contacted me as well to play for them. I didn’t have an agent or anything like that – I didn’t know what to do – to play for Baltimore or Pittsburgh. I contacted Frannie Rogel – he was the only NFL player I knew – he played for the Steelers. He played for North Braddock when I was in high school- across the river from me when I was at Homestead. They’d come and practice at our school, so I got to know him. I asked him what I should do and he told me I should play for Pittsburgh because Baltimore didn’t need a running back – they just won the championship again. Pittsburgh didn’t have a big name guy – they had Larry Krutko there – he was their only guy.

Of course, after I signed with Pittsburgh, they signed John Henry Johnson!

Did John Henry and Krutko help you out there?

I went to camp after working some at the steel mill – everyone in Homestead worked at the mills at some point then. I used to run around the mill at night when my shift ended – in that heat – so I was in great shape going into camp.

At camp, Larry Krutko got hurt – he tore up his ankle pretty bad. That was the only way a free agent would get a chance then – if someone got hurt. That gave me the opportunity to play.

John Henry was a great help -he was like a Karate sensei to me! He told me what I was doing wrong. They all  saw I hustled and tried to help. Especially the guys on defense – they told me if I was giving away plays in my stance or if I got off the ball a certain way. Stautner and John Reger – they helped on blocking too. They told me that the defensive guys don’t want to get hit any more than the offensive guys do and really helped me with pass protection. Scrimmages usually started with pass protection drills – John Henry was a tremendous blocker – no one wanted to go up against him. I remember him drilling Dick Modzelewski. He taught me to attack the defensive guys when you blocked them.

Did John Henry help you in other ways?

He was a veteran and knew I needed playing time. He told me when we went to Detroit for an exhibition game to get ready to play. We played six exhibition games then and the veterans didn’t like to play in those. John told me “I feel a hamstring pull coming on!”  He didn’t want to play and that gave me a chance!

What was Bobby Layne like?

Bobby told us rookies it was a drinking man’s team. They had a rookie party and wanted all the rookies to go. I was a church-going guy and didn’t drink. They sent guys after me to make me go – Thomas Barnett was one – but I called my wife and told her I wasn’t going and would be home soon – but they may cut me because of it!

Well, for some reason, Buddy Parker the next day held a scrimmage even though it was a Sunday. I think I was the only guy that wasn’t hungover and had a great scrimmage because of it!  Steelers writer Pat Livingston was there and wrote an article about me – this hometown guy that looked good in camp! If not for that and Larry getting hurt, I might not have made the team! That and John Henry’s help.

Layne also knew his football. He was a running back before the NFL and he wold tell me how to line up and techniques. He knew I didn’t drink, so he’d have me pick up his wife and kids from the airport when they came in. I’d pick up his wife and give her some excuses for why he couldn’t go get her, but she’d just stop me. “I know how Robert is.” she said.

Any other memories stand out to you?

I’ll tell you one thing not a lot of people like to talk about. It was still a time of segregation then. When we played in the South it was very different. We played Green Bay in New Orleans – I was upset I didn’t end up playing in that game, but John Henry told me I should be happy I didn’t. That Green Bay was so good, they just made everyone look bad!

I never saw a white guy in New Orleans once the plane landed. The black players from Pittsburgh and Green Bay all stayed at a run-down hotel together and ate the pre-game meal together. The veterans all got cars and went out on the town, and we had to stay at the hotel and share rooms. Not only did we have to share rooms.  Willie Wood – the Green Bay defensive back was a rookie then – he and I even had to share a bed together!

That’s just how it was then.

Any other memories stand out?

We played St. Louis in Jacksonville once. We flew from Pittsburgh and stayed at a naval base. We played the game and flew right back home. But I slept in and when I woke up everyone was gone – I overslept. One of the naval women drove me to the mess hall in a jeep to make sure I didn’t miss it.

One thing about Pittsburgh though – we didn’t win a lot but someone was always hurt. The year Philly won the championship we beat them in Pittsburgh. But Layne, John Henry – they got hurt, Myron Pottios hurt his wrist – Parker was down on him after that for some reason and ended up trading him. That ticked Myron off – Myron ended up playing for another 12 years or so too!

Any good memories of your on-field play?

When we played the Bears – they had that crazy blitzing defense with Bill George who would fly in on blitzes. I drilled George though and  he bowled over me, so I pulled him down by his jersey. That was a good block in those days!

But Layne told me I couldn’t block his 90-year old grandmother! That was his way of firing you up.  He called a play – an option-pass play which they don’t use much now.  That’s when quarterbacks really ran the offense. He told me if I made my block it would be a touchdown.

On the play the defensive lineman stepped down and I caught him in his shoulder and dropped him, then stepped out and blocked a defensive back and we scored a touchdown on the play.

On film the next day Nesby pointed out my blocks on film. But Parker told people I was just lucky. I think he had it in his mind he didn’t want me there.

You left after the ’61 season – what happened?

I left after the ’61 season. I was sitting at a table with John Henry eating when Parker came up to us and told John Henry that he thought Ferguson – who they just drafted – could play halfback too. I knew I was gone then. I figured I’d end up in the AFL. But I had a good game against Cleveland and they ended up trading a third round pick for me. That’s when Ernie Davis was diagnosed with Leukemia – that was rough.

So you upgraded your worth – a third round pick isn’t bad!

Ha yes!  I had a good career, but starting in Pittsburgh helped me a lot. You had to be willing to hit someone in Pittsburgh – that’s where it all started. That’s why I wasn’t in awe when I went to Cleveland playing with Jim Brown and those guys. I played with John Henry, Stautner and Layne.

The Cleveland Plains Dealer wrote an article saying I looked like Floyd Patterson and hit like him too, because of my blocking. Jim Brown never liked to block anybody. But I got in trouble a bit there because I told them I’m a Pittsburgh guy, and everybody blocks in Pittsburgh. I don’t think they liked that!

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