First, can you let us know what you have been doing with yourself since your time in Pittsburgh?
Well, I’m now the Assistant Head Coach/Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs at Mississippi State
When I left the Steelers, I went back to Florida and coached at my high school. Later that year, in ’98, I got a call from Randy Edsall who recruited me out of high school to join him at Connecticut and coach there. From there I accepted the offer to coach at Mississippi State.
As a coach, who helped influence your coaching style, and how?
Jimmy Ray in Kansas City was very good. I could relate to him. And the laid back, straightforward style of Dick Hoak in Pittsburgh. He made you feel comfortable, the way he presented information to you.
So those two guys, in terms of how they were easy to relate to in the film room and on the field.
How hard was the post-NFL transition for you?
It was an easy transition really. I didn’t get a whole lot of playing time – I didn’t play a lot! So, that made it a smoother transition. There weren’t a lot of NFL memories there to keep running around in my mind!
Coaching was second nature for me. Playing and coaching around guys like Hoak, Hackett, and Gailey made it easier too.
Were you surprised to be signed by the Steelers as a free agent? What motivated that decision for both of you?
I wasn’t surprised no. I knew I had the talent and was a hard worker. I just had to find the right fit – a place with the right scheme for me. I was a bigger back and they had Jerome {Bettis} there. I had confidence in myself. I was on five different teams over three-and-a-half years, including NFL Europe. I just kept working hard and not burning bridges.
When I got the call from Pittsburgh it was actually the second call from them. I got a call the year before and I had two options – Philly or Pittsburgh. I went to Philly then. Then I went to NFL Europe and got signed by Kansas City. When they cut me Pittsburgh called me again.
Who helped bring you into the fold and mentor you in Pittsburgh?
Dick Hoak was real good. Jerome was a good guy too. We were the same age but he had a reputation in the league. He was real down to earth and had a good football IQ. Fred McAfee was a veteran there too with a good football mind. And Coach Cowher helped me too. He was a terrific coach and had good people skills.
I remember too – a couple weeks after being there I was sitting in the film room and realized I was sitting next to Mike Mularkey. He went to the same high school I went to and I grew up hearing about him. Now I was sitting next to him!
The transition in Pittsburgh was good. it was good to be employed! You hit the ground running there. There’s not much time to think about much. That’s how the program is run.
Tell me about some of the more fun memories you have of your time there.
Oh I can’t tell most of them! A lot of over-the-top stuff!
My biggest fun was in the offseason, at those celebrity basketball games. They were just a free for all. We’d go somewhere and play against guys that were so overmatched. We were top athletes going against weekend warriors. Guys would just cherry pick and dunk on everyone.
Who were the standout players?
It was mostly the younger guys. they got paid to play and those guys needed the money more. The guys with million dollar contracts wouldn’t play and risk injury. They wouldn’t risk getting hurt on that stuff.
Any other good memories?
I did an appearance at a chiropractor center, for young kids – they had a special day for them there. They had serious issues, some of them. Just to be there – for them to have a Steelers player there meant a lot to them. To be a part of that was great. To see the way they treated you….it was good being there…signing autographs…
Now that I’m older I get that stuff more. I get what it’s all about. You don’t full appreciate it when you’re younger.
Lastly, especially as a coach, what advice would you give young players entering the NFL today?
Football isn’t just a game…it’s also about the game of life. Being on time. Working within a structured environment. That’s a part of everyday life. That helps you be successful in everything you do. When you go to school, as a player and student you’re under a different structure. That discipline and structure will help you in all parts of your life.
Also, you have to learn to compartmentalize issues. Girlfriends, your social life, school….you have to be able to handle all of those things and still play the game. You have to learn to handle them in sections. Handle things as they come.
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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