First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?
Well, actually, I’ve been working for a railroad company now – Norfolk Southern. Friends of mine got me interested and into the work. I’m fixing stuff for them – tracks and stuff like that. It’s not too bad. I’m used to the physical stuff from playing football, so it hasn’t been that bad.
Was the post-NFL transition hard for you?
Oh yeah, it was tough. Going from being where you were at financially to adjusting to the real world was really hard. Finding a job and that next thing in life – it was a tough transition. My family and friends helped me out with it – and I talked to a lot of the other guys that have been through it too. That helped a lot.
Stepping back a bit – you signed on with the Steelers as a free agent out of Memphis. Why Pittsburgh?
Actually, they scouted me a lot at my pro day at Memphis so I knew they were looking at me. I think it was Dick Hoak. I loved Pittsburgh growing up – I was excited at the chance to go and play for Pittsburgh. It was my favorite team.
Even as a Cincinnati kid?
Ha- yeah! Just getting the chance to try out and make the team – because that’s what it was at first- it was exciting. I had to jump on that chance.
Who helped you out the most once you made the team – and how?
I have to say Jerome Bettis and Verron Haynes helped me the most. Especially Bettis – he helped me. The transition from college running back to the NFL was a challenge. He helped me to learn the plays and to make sure I knew what I was doing. Even on the field, when it was time for me to go in during practice, he made sure I knew the plays.
He would see me take off too early sometimes when I ran in practice. In the NFL you can’t just get the ball and take off. The game is played much faster but you actually have to go slower at first than you do in college as a running back. You have to give more time for the play to develop – for your blockers to open up the holes. So I had to learn to slow down and let that all develop.
You made the team as an undrafted free agent – what do you think sold them on your play?
They didn’t tell me why, but I think it was because of my work ethic, and because I knew the plays and playbook quickly. There were a lot of plays! I was able to show up and do good because of that.
Tell me a bit about your experience there with teammates – how was the atmosphere then?
Playing in Pittsburgh was the best experience for me. All of the guys got along. It was a family – everyone played jokes on each other. Hines, Porter, Bettis and Plaxico were the main guys.
Any good ones you remember – any rookie hazing?
Not off hand – they weren’t usually that big, they just did it a lot. I had to take the guys out for dinner. I guess that was like hazing! I wish they did haze me instead of making me have to pay for everyone’s dinner!
Year two the team released you. What happened?
A couple of guys went down in practice. They were like one to two week injuries, and they had to sign a couple of guys to take their spots. That kind of pushed me out of the team. They released me and Cleveland signed me after that. I was only in Cleveland a few weeks – it was near the end of the season. They placed me on their practice squad until Buffalo signed me – they brought me on and gave me a roster spot so I was happy.
How hard it is, going from team to team as you try to secure a place for yourself? How do you deal with that?
It’s hard, but you can’t let it affect you. It can if you let it. For me, I personally always looked at it like a business – that’s just what I had to do as part of the business. That’s what people don’t know – it may be a sport and fun to play and watch, but it’s a business. You have to understand that business decisions affect you and your job security. That’s how you have to take it. You can’t take it personally. You just have to understand that and push through it.
You watch the game today. What are your thoughts about the way the game is played today?
What I see now is them taking away the physicality of the game. They are making it less physical – not what it used to be. I know it’s about safety – all of those head injuries. I understand that. It just takes away from the game though when you can’t hit a player a certain way.
Any final thoughts for fans?
I want to let everyone know I enjoyed my time and opportunity to play in the NFL, and with my favorite team – the Steelers. I want to thank the Steelers fans and the owners for having me. I enjoyed my time there.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
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