First off, can you let me know how it’s going since your time with the NFL?
Well, my son is doing great at Liberty – he’s their safety and I think he’ll get drafted.
Give him any words of advice as a former NFL player?
My only words of wisdom were to stay focused and to keep doing what got you there. Everything else is irrelevant. I’m old school- the noise and lights and social media, they don’t matter. What happens between the lines is what matters.
What have you been up to since retirement?
Well, I retired in 2000 -I didn’t have enough money to just rely on my savings. I had a Kinesiology degree so I used that and worked in the pharmaceuticals industry for 21 years – on the device side, selling to operating rooms as a hospital rep.
One-and-a-half years ago though, I had a close call. I shot myself, Ron. I was going through a tough time and I almost died. Only by the grace of God am I here. I’ve had several surgeries and messed up my shoulder and upper arm. I had to have shoulder reconstruction and when they did that they nicked an artery and had to airlift me to another hospital to do emergency surgery. I could have died and almost lost my arm. They had to do vascular surgery. So, it was a tough time. I lost my mother two weeks ago as well. But I’ve stayed prayed-up now and kept the faith. I have that Steelers mentality – I’m a fighter.
A former coach – Pete Jenkins – he used to talk to me about the “Live by hard” theory. That is, to do everything hard. Love hard, practice hard, work hard. So I’ve been doing that and have gotten closer to my family.
Do you know what was driving those feelings you had?
I was going through depression for sure. I had a lot of concussions playing football too – a big one when I was with the Steelers in the Hall of Fame game versus Tampa Bay. I was knocked out cold.
When I was 35 I started feeling depressed – even though I was doing well in life. I was suffering from alcoholism and my marriage was on the rocks. It hit a head when my ex-wife took my daughter away from me – she and I were very close. That took its toll on me. I just remember waking up in the ICU one day in April. I don’t think many of the guys in Pittsburgh even know – maybe Coach Mitchell and Coach Tomlin.
In 2020 I was actually looking to intern with the Steelers as a coach. John Mitchell called me out of the blue – he was one of my coaches at LSU. They were going to have me come in but then Covid hit and they decided not to fill that position. I was really looking forward to that too.
Looking back, did you have guys who helped mentor you when you first started in the league?
In Tampa I was struggling in camp as a rookie. I was a high draft pick and had a great mini-camp but then they went and signed Jackie Harris. I was supposed to be the second tight end behind Tyji Armstrong but that pushed me down the ladder. They were trying to trade Tyji but couldn’t get a deal done, and I started to lose focus. I wasn’t doing well, but then Lawrence Dawsey took me under his wing there. He showed me how to be a pro – he had it figured out and I was still trying to figure things out. We talked a lot at his house – I watched and emulated him. He showed me how to enjoy myself without getting into trouble. And he had a workout bike at his house – it was the first time I saw a player doing extra working out at home instead of the facility. After that I bought a Stairmaster for my place.
What happened after Tampa Bay?
I was traded to Cleveland – there I listened to Carl Banks a lot. He was a helluva leader and player. I had to deal with him in practice. He talked to me every day on how to be a pro – what it takes. I was working my way up the ladder there – I was fourth in receptions on the team.
Earnest Byner was also a big help – we were part of the same fraternity – Kappa Alpha Psi. He taught me a lot – our wives were friends and we would hang out together. He, Steven Moore and Eric Turner, God rest his soul, we’d all hang out together. For some reason I hung out with the defensive backs a lot there.
But, we moved to Baltimore that next season and that’s when the spiral started. I tore my meniscus, and I was released after that. They cut me week 13 and I was signed by Washington. I played there for one game. Darrell Green was going through contract negotiations though and they didn’t have a lot of salary cap room so they released me in 1997.
That was the first time I was out of football since I started playing as a child. I went to the World League and played for the Rhein Fire. I learned to be a leader then – I was one of the older players on the team and stepped into the leadership role there.
How did you end up after that in Pittsburgh?
In ’98 Pittsburgh signed me. I hung out there with Earl Holmes – he was a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brother too. There were a plethora of leaders there.
The offensive coordinator from the Rhein Fire was from Pittsburgh and John Mitchell and Mike Archer were both coaches in Pittsburgh that were coaches of mine at LSU. So they knew about me and the team needed another tight end. The day I got home from Germany Tom Donohoe called and I went in for a workout and was signed that day.
How did the start go there in Pittsburgh?
I had a great camp in Pittsburgh – Bill Cowher said he liked my speed and athleticism. They wanted to keep me but I hurt my knee – that’s what ended up putting me out of the NFL. I had an autoimmune condition called Sarcoidosis- a lot of athletes in the South seem to have it. I took a treatment that involved steroids and those ended up breaking down the muscles in your body to be effective.
In my exit interview with Bill he told me that he wanted me there next season and for me to elevate my play. I was cleared to play by the doctors – the treatment worked – but my body was just too weak at that point.
Any fun memories of your time there?
What wasn’t fun was not being able to build off that Super Bowl year from the year before. The change in quarterback was tough – losing was never fun.
The most fun moment was when we had that Thanksgiving game in Detroit and we had two Greyhound buses – one of the offense and one for the defense – all go to Jerome Bettis’ house for Thanksgiving. It was great to meet his family and all of us to be together. I’ll never forget that.
I also got a couple of game balls in Pittsburgh. One for my play on the Seattle game in ’98. We started with a double tight end set so I started and had a great game.That was probably the pinnacle of my time there. I also got a game ball for my play in the Kansas City game on Monday Night too.
Any funny experiences there?
Me and Earl Holmes use to go at it. We’d call in “Jankin'” where after practice we’d just rip into each other. Everyone would laugh at us going at it. I remember one time we took a bus to Duquesne for a practice and me and Earl were going at it on the bus. I don’t remember the joke I ended up telling – I probably couldn’t repeat it if I did – but the entire bus started cracking up when I told it!
Earl actually offered me a job coaching at Florida A&M when he was there but I couldn’t afford to take it at the time.
So – how are you doing now – and what are you doing to stay ok?
I’m doing great now. I’m eating right and taking care of my body. My goal is to be able to swing a golf club soon. I’m back on the right track and relationship with my family is amazing. I’m in a better place. I’m excited to walk my daughter down the aisle one day when she gets married and to see my son get drafted in the NFL, and to play with grandchildren some day!
Football was great but it is a small moment in your life. You build relationships over the time you play football and you can forget about the importance of those when you’re playing. But those really are the important part of life.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
