Let’s start with football? I know you were a very good track athlete as well as football player in high school- why did you choose football?
It’s funny – I didn’t want to play football, really. I didn’t want to get tackled. I just wanted to do something that would get me out of the house. I was fast but not fast enough for the Olympics or anything like that. I was successful playing football so I stayed with that.
Were there coaches early on that helped you then?
I was a loner in high school, so I didn’t get much help. My mother would give me some advice on life – my uncle too. But I was really on my own. I stayed with my auntie and she didn’t really know I even played football then.
What made you decide to sign with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent? And did anyone there help mentor you then?
I was sitting there watching the draft and just as the last pick was made the phone rang – the Steelers called me. Right after that Miami called. Pittsburgh was my favorite team and I was excited to play for Chuck Noll.
When I got there Jack Lambert came up to me and told me that as a fellow Kent State alum, that he had my back. But that I shouldn’t prove him wrong! But no one else really helped. I think the running backs sometimes felt threatened – no one wants to lose their job.
Later on they moved you to receiver – why did that happen?
I kind of got into an argument with Dick Hoak – the running backs coach. We got into it. I kept hitting the blocking bag and scraping my knee up. I kept telling him the bag wasn’t a real person – I didn’t want to keep doing that. After we argued about it he told me to get out of practice and they moved me to receiver after that.
How was that transition to receiver – did you like it?
I liked it. Dwight Stone helped me – if anyone I could say was a mentor at all, it would have been him. He was a former running back that became a receiver too. He helped me with the technical part of running routes and learning the playbook.
My first game at receiver they had me out there in the first quarter with the starters. I was thinking that something fishy was going on – that they were trying to have me mess up so they could get rid of me. But I caught an 87-yard touchdown pass from Bubby Brister. They didn’t have me play anymore after that!
Any good memories stand out most to you from your time there?
One funny one – though it wasn’t funny at the time – was when I lined up in practice opposite Delton Hall. He was checking me at the line and was in my face. When the ball was snapped he slapped me in my helmet – in my earhole. I had never been hit like that. I tried to run my route but I was dizzy.
I went back but I was crying. People couldn’t tell at first, but Chuck Noll picked up on it and pulled me over. “Mr. Wilkerson, come here.” he said. He told me the next time to take a step back first then run my route next time. So I lined up again opposite Hall, and he was now calling me a crybaby. But I took a step back then slapped him and ran out and caught a pass. We got into a fight after that, but then he respected me after that.
Any other good ones?
I remember knocking down Lawrence Taylor. They still had me play running back too on third downs and I was a smaller guy – my blocking wasn’t great. They told me I better block my butt off against the Giants. So I blocked everyone that game and I remember knocking down Taylor.
What happened after that season that caused you to leave?
They had Plan B free agency then and I went to Detroit and signed with them. They offered me more money and I was excited to play with Barry Sanders. That was a mistake – if I had stayed with Pittsburgh I think I would have made the team – I had a foot in the door there already. In Detroit they treated me more like a practice player. They wanted me as a receiver but they ran the run and shoot. Running routes off of coverage was new for me – learning to read the coverage and running routes off of the coverage was hard to do after playing most of my career as a running back. I asked to be moved to running back later on and they did.
It taught me that if you are with a team, don’t look at the money. Stay with the team and secure a spot.
I ask this of everyone – how hard was that post-NFL adjustment for you?
It was real hard. After Detroit released me I went back to college. But the World League started up and I decided to go play there for the New York/New Jersey Knights. I was a star player there – I led the league in rushing, touchdowns and all-purpose yards. I was there for two years before the league folded and I was the man in that league. Afterwards, that’s when life got hard.
What happened?
I’d go out – to bars and other places, and people would ask me “What happened to my career?” I had a lot of friends in Cleveland and I kept getting asked that. That threw me. I started making up excuses – lies – like I tore my hamstring. Stuff like that. After a while my friends were gone. They weren’t really friends. Once the money and stardom was gone, they were gone.
I got mad at football after that. I blamed it- that it did me wrong. I wouldn’t watch it for years.
What did you do after that?
I got a job working for the state for five years. I had kids and ended up needing to pay child support. They were taking all my money from my paycheck – one time I get a check for 28 cents. Instead of dealing with the problem I ran from it. I quit my job and was out on the streets.
What was the problem?
I was angry. At the game. At having to pay child support. I started getting under-the-table jobs – I was a bouncer, a landscaper… When they found out and started taking money for child support, I’d quit again. All those jobs lasted for a minute.
I ended up finding a new life in drugs. It felt like a new fan base. I messed with crack for 20 years. It didn’t have the same affect on me as it did for other folks. I didn’t think of myself as a dealer, but if people asked I’d sell it. The crack didn’t make me act crazy like it does some people – I just made bad decisions on it.
The selling became a rush for me. There was a guy I knew since we were kids – a big guy who was a bully, really. He came by and told me one day he was moving me to set up shop and make me a soldier in the gang he was in. I said “No.” I told him he just had a daughter and he should be getting good with her.
The next day he came by and put a gun to my chest and asked me for a reason he shouldn’t shoot me. I never owned a weapon myself – I always figured as an NFL player I was strong enough to use my hands if needed.
So what happened next?
He left then. I tried to stay away from him but he kept coming by and threatening me. One day his cousin called me – she asked me to sell her some drugs and I wouldn’t. So she called the guy and he came around and threatened me. He met me at my door. It was really a crackhouse – I had a rottweiler and it blocked the door from me being able to get back inside when I went to talk to him. He asked me about money – he was trying to extort me. I saw him reach into his pocket and I knew he already out a gun to my chest once. We ended up tussling and I grabbed the knife from his pocket and stabbed him. I thought I stabbed him six times – it turned out it was 28. I just lost it. His cousin was there and if she didn’t yell my name it probably would have been more.
After that I left – I didn’t know what to do. I was scared – I was never in a situation like that. When the police found the guy, he had no gun or drugs on him. I think the people in the crackhouse took it from him before the police came.
So, what is the plan now knowing you have a lot of time still in prison?
My son had triplets – two identical and one fraternal. The fraternal one has cerebral palsy. I told my son that when I get out I want to help him take care of his kids. I’ll be over 60 years old by then – so a job is out of the cards, probably.
For now, I’m just keeping busy here. Reading a lot, watching a lot of history on television. Due to the kind of crime, I’m not eligible for some classes.
Any other thoughts to share before I let you go here?
My grandson plays football now. He’s trying to find a mentor to help him – he’s in football camps now. I would love to be able to help him someday – to be a mentor to him. I never had that. My son just got his CDL license so he’s on the road a lot and isn’t sure how to help him – and they just moved from Cleveland to Atlanta. He was working with Ted Ginn before they moved. So I’d love to help him someday.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
