First, can you let me know what you’re up to since the NFL?
I’m in the food service industry – I have been since I’ve been out of school. I’ve been the general manager of a few places running food and beverage and am now at the Lawrence Country Club here in Kansas. I never left the area since I came back after Pittsburgh. I like cooking and taking care of people.
Was the post-NFL adjustment tough for you?
It wasn’t tough at all. My mindset was that it wasn’t all about football. The NFL was a dream but it wasn’t the end all be all. I knew my talent was limited and I planned for my backup plan since day one. I wanted to be a family man and raise my kids and support the community – that was most important to me.
When the Steelers cut me my agent was scrambling to get me on other teams. A couple of teams were interested but I thought about having to go visit those other teams and being on the practice squad and on the bubble every week. I knew what practice squad players made, and my fiancé at the time – now wife – was back in Lawrence. I didn’t want to be on the verge of being cut every week and moving from city to city. That’s not what I wanted.
Was it that you didn’t have a passion for the game?
I was able to have school pay for my education and see football done right in Pittsburgh. I was always a good athlete – I was bigger, faster and stronger than most I played with as a defensive back. But I never understood the importance of aggression and physicality until the NFL.
The great ones – you can be faster and stronger and all of that – but the Hall of Fame guys can do all that with a controlled aggression I just didn’t have. You have to play with that on a team like Pittsburgh and I never understood that until years later. That need to fight on every play and to leave it all on the field – that part of the game. How far that mindset can take you is important – that tough, physical aggression. If you have that they’ll find a place for you on the field.
How did you land in Pittsburgh after the draft?
They signed me as an undrafted free agent. I thought I should have been drafted in the later rounds, but as the end of the draft got closer I started getting calls from teams trying to feel me out, seeing if I’d sign with them if they didn’t draft me.
I weighed those options – there were four teams that were interested – Tennessee, the Jaguars, the Steelers and one other team, I forget. The Steelers had just won a Super Bowl and I knew Ryan Clark and Troy were getting a bit older. I felt like my best opportunity was there. I just didn’t fit their mentality – I was a ballhawk – a cover guy. I wasn’t as physical as guys they like.
Did any of those guys help mentor you at all?
It’s cutthroat in the NFL. In college they embrace younger guys and show them the ropes and give them pointers. But in the NFL …well, let’s just say the answer is “No.”
If anyone was close to doing it it was Ryan Clark. He was a leader and paid attention to guys’ body language and would give some words of wisdom on how to carry yourself. But pretty much everyone showed up and did their job and weren’t as interested in helping guys out that were looking to take their job. The nurturing wasn’t existent – only the strong survived.
And I remember too – Troy hated talking about football. You couldn’t ask him how he read that play and timed the jump over the line. He’d talk about anything else but hated talking about football.
You were a receiver in high school – how did you make that adjustment to defense? Did playing receiver help you as a defensive back?
I was a receiver and cornerback in high school. I wasn’t very good with footwork as a defensive back – I played man coverage and bump and run and chased the receiver downfield. They moved me to safety in college because I didn’t have great footwork. At first I played receiver then they moved me to safety.
Playing on offense definitely helped me. I had the best hands of the defensive backs on my team – that’s why I led the team in interceptions. I could high point the ball and had good depth perception. I also understood the routes and offensive concepts which helped.
Any memories stand out of your time there?
I felt like a chump in that locker room – I do remember that feeling. Hampton, Troy, Keisel, Pouncey, Timmons, Foote…They were all tough-nosed dogs and there was such comradery there. There aren’t many locker rooms like that. It was business first and everyone worked hard. It all boiled down to them feeling like they were tougher than the other guys. Even if they weren’t more talented they always felt like they were tougher. That was part of the culture there – all the time. It wasn’t a light switch that turned on and off.
The first time I got on the practice field is a good story. I was playing Cover 3 and was 15 yards back. I knew the play and was guarding Mike Wallace. I knew he was fast but I felt like I gave him plenty of room. Well, I felt like I was in slow motion. He blew by me for a 60-yard touchdown. I was baffled – I knew the play and he still blew past me even with a 15-yard cushion. I was proud of my ability to not get burnt deep. I may miss a tackle or blow an assignment, but I didn’t let guys get behind me.
Another play I remember was in training camp. Dick LeBeau would have me line up as the strong safety and put me in the box because he knew I knew the defense and could make the calls and line guys up right. That wasn’t my thing normally – I was a cover guy not a physical player – but he had confidence in my knowledge of the defense.
Well, on one play the offense shifted their formation so I ran to the other safety – Cromartie-Smith – and had us flip our assignments to match the offense. I remember pushing him five yards into the gap just as the offense was snapping the ball. He shot through the gap then and de-cleated Rashad Mendenhall. It was the hit of the camp – the defense went crazy. I was pissed. I was competing against him! But I was a team player. I should have just left him out of position! But that’s not how I’m wired.
Do you like the way the game has changed?
I’m not a fan of it now, no. It just makes it more of an entertainment league. It’s harder for the defense. I know we all like scoring more touchdowns but it makes it too hard for the defense.
What did the coaches say to you when they let you go?
Mike T. in the nicest way possible told me I just wasn’t tough and physical enough for the team. He alluded to the fact that I wasn’t a good fit for their culture. I could have found a niche with another team I’m sure. But I had a torn labrum since I was a Sophomore in college and I could never play that physical. I never had the surgery to fix it because it would have taken me out of the game for too long. I knew if that happened I’d never get the chance to regain my spot.
So Coach T. told me that I could make plays and was a good athlete, but I just wasn’t physical enough for their brand of football.
I’ll say, though., Mike Tomlin is one of the greatest coaches in the NFL. I’m still a huge Pittsburgh fan today. I’m a big believer in their program – I know it’s not run like that on every team.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
