First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?
Well, I settled into the greater DC area. I’ve been here seven years now. I opened up a men’s clothing boutique called Core in Pentagon City in 2012 with my buddy- we sell women’s clothing now too. I also have some real estate investments in Michigan and the DC area. We’re opening another in Montgomery County soon too.
So it’s fashion and real estate is the thing,
Was it hard to adjust to post-NFL life?
Yes – because my career ended sooner than I anticipated. I wasn’t as fortunate as some players. You spend time getting your body ready to perform for teams and lose time trying to plan for the next move. I had a good support system though. My parents in Michigan were helpful. I went back and had a couple of classes left to take to graduate from Michigan. I worked out for a few teams but didn’t get picked up.
It was definitely a tough time, but having a pretty good support system through some of those rough days made it not as bad as it could have been.
You signed on with the Steelers in 2007 after playing for a couple of other teams. Why Pittsburgh?
You haver to know what position you are in and go where the opportunity is. I was in New Orleans and they released me after I had an ankle injury. I had tryouts with Atlanta and Pittsburgh at the end of the season. The last week Pittsburgh brought guys in to see who they wanted to sign in the offseason. I worked out for them week 17 and signed a reserve/futures contract. They asked me to play in NFL Europe and I said sure. They wanted to use that time to help me transfer from cornerback to safety.
It was a good experience. It’s funny because Cowher worked me out and signed me but I never played for him. That was the year they transitioned to Mike Tomlin.
How was that NFL Europe experience? Amsterdam isn’t such a bad city!
Definitely not! It was a really cool place to be. It was the first time I traveled abroad. I got to see and be some place so different – a different part of the world. And transitioning from corner to safety – to becoming a tweener type of guy was a good experience too.
We had training camp in Tampa for three weeks first, then we went to Amsterdam for 1o weeks.
How hard was the corner-to-safety transition – especially since you had also played receiver in college?
I was always a person who tried to understand everything about the game. In college I always knew what the safeties did and played the nickel and dime – so I did things in college that prepared me. I was familiar with the concepts – playing zones and in the box – and was familiar with the terminology. I understood the whole thing works in synchronicity – the defensive linemen help the linebackers who help the defensive backs… That helped me.
I learned so much about the sport under LeBeau, And Ryan Clark, Troy Polamalu, Ty Carter – those guys helped too.
You spoke earlier about coming in at the transition between Cowher and Tomlin. What did you notice about how Tomlin started off with the team and how they took to him?
He did a really good job in the beginning. He kept a lot of the guys in place – a lot of the coaches. When he came in he told everyone that they had the pieces in place already and that his job was to see how he can help, like he was looking at it from the outsider approach. He had a magnetic personality and was a great orator.
In meetings he’d keep you going. He was a great storyteller and was personable. He didn’t overstep things. He told people he was there to help – that it was our team. The second season he started taking the reins more.
Did any of the vets help you when you got there – help you learn the system?
When I got back from the NFL Europe we all had missed OTA’s and the offseason stuff. When I got back I had one meeting with Tomlin at the end of OTAs and that was it before camp.
When I got to camp I had a lot to catch up on. I sat in meetings next to guys like Clark and Troy and had to learn on the fly. I asked them questions and they were all very confident. The older guys were helpful because they knew they were secure. The younger guys were less so, but the older guys had been in your place before and weren’t worried about their place on the team. They weren’t worried.
As a practice squad guy, what was your role and how did you work with the starters?
There are only eight guys on the practice squad, so we had to do everything. And because of my background as a wide receiver, I played versus the team’s offense as a defensive back and against the defense as a receiver. I never got a break – it was non-stop.
We’re playing a kids game so it’s always fun. But playing against guys in practice that I sat in the meeting room with was funny. Going up against McFadden or Deshea – running routes against those guys and then watching and laughing at it on film was fun. Meeting with them one hour then playing against them, giving them looks to make the team better was fun.
Did you beat those guys?
Maybe once or twice I made a play, but they did most of the winning! As it got later in the season there was a certain practice tempo you had too. You can’t basically go down the field on a nine route full speed against guys that had to play on Sunday. You didn’t want to risk guys getting hurt.
Any funny moments you remember?
As a rookie, it wasn’t too bad. You had to sing. And me and Gay had to buy dinners for the defensive backs sometimes.
My locker was next to James Harrison’s. There was never a shortage of things he did and said. He was a funny character. Nothing specific comes to mind – just how he’d walk and talk.
You were released after the second season there -what happened and how hard was that?
I understood the business. It wasn’t the first time I had been released. I was fortunate because a week later San Diego picked me up. The Steelers gave me a real chance to develop. I got to be closer to Michigan so my family could come up and see me. I looked at the time there as a positive. I left with a chance to develop and play elsewhere. Let’s face it – Troy and Ryan Clark were exceptional. I wasn’t as good as they were at the time.
Tomlin told me when they released me to keep pushing. They had guys that were hurt – I think on the defensive line and had to bring other guys in to fill those spots. He told me to stay ready and in shape and they may call me to come back.
Unfortunately I hurt my knee in San Diego.
Any thoughts on the way the game has changed? Like the changes?
No! As a defensive guy, I don’t. I understand the changes but I don’t like them. I played before the new CBA. A lot has changed. The amount to time and physicality you can practice with is too little for players.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
