First, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your playing days?
Actually after my time in Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay I moved back to Kansas City and started up a handyman service here. I’ve been doing that for the better part of 15 years. I took two years off after my time in Pittsburgh before moving back here.
I grew up in Louisiana and this was the type of work I always did with my father, so that’s what drove me to get into this line of work.
Was the adjustment to post-NFL life difficult for you?
It was hard at first. I had no direction. I wasn’t sure if I was going to play again – if another team was going to give me a call. And back then we didn’t get paid much – the minimum wage was around $110,000. After expenses that didn’t leave much. So it took two-to-three years to adjust to life after football for me.
How did you end up in Pittsburgh in ’95 after being drafted by Kansas City in ’94?
I was traded in the preseason. I honestly wasn’t bothered by it – I just wanted the opportunity to play somewhere.
So you weren’t bothered by the trade? Were you told why?
I got there at night and stayed in Mount Washington. When I woke up the next morning there was dirt everywhere and I thought “Oh Lord!” It was an adjustment, I’ll just say that. It was tough because I was staying at the Allegheny Center and had to walk everywhere. I figured it out though.
As for why – Kansas City had Keith Cash coming back and had Tate and Walker there at tight end as well so they didn’t really need me. I was the odd man out so they traded me for a conditional seventh round pick.
Why do you think the Steelers wanted you – and did anyone help you out when you got there?
Cap value! And there were other guys from Kansas City there so they were not unfamiliar with me.
Jonathan Hayes helped me out the most – just in learning the plays and the whole landscape. And how to smoke a cigar!
As a big guy he also helped me to improve my blocking – keeping my feet together and hand placement – things like that. And making sure I kept my nose clean.
How do you adapt to the Steelers coming in late like you did?
I’ll put it like this. The West Coast offense is one of the hardest offenses to learn. Pittsburgh ran a slow developing offense – compared to the West Coast offense it wasn’t hard at all. They had maybe 10 base plays and 20 ways to run them, so the playbook was not hard at all.
Coming from a smaller school like Grambling State how did that affect your NFL experience?
The guys in Kansas City would tell me to ratchet it down a lot in practice. The players more than the coaches – they would police a lot of that stuff. A lot of those guys weren’t in positions where they had to prove themselves every day like I did as a guy from a smaller school. We weren’t on even playing fields, so to speak.
When I got to Pittsburgh it was more gritty. More grimy. It took me back to my grimier days of playing that I enjoyed!
What do you remember most about how that team stayed focus throughout the year to get to a Super Bowl?
We started off 3-4 and everyone wrote us off. They were telling us we needed to get ready for next year. Then we ran off three straight wins. The aura started setting in. We had great chemistry and we felt we were doing something great.
The defense is what turned it around. Especially when Rod went down and Carnell Lake stepped into his role. That sent a signal to the team that if he could do it we all could. Steed had his issues too and the backups stepped in for him as well. It really sent a message to all of us.
Any fun moments stand out?
We had a good time in the locker room, I will say that! I remember after practice we all ran to the showers because after 10 minutes there was no hot water left! If you were late you were taking a cold shower or you went home to take one.
And the Super Bowl run, Primantis, Rod’s restaurant in Station Square, Sweet Georgia Browns … and a lot of places we went to in McKees Rocks and Monroeville that shall go nameless!
Any other on-field moments stand out?
One play I remember against the Bears. We were about to lose but somehow we got the ball back and drove downfield for the winning field goal. Lonnie Palelei was on the field goal unit but for some reason wasn’t able to get on the field so I ran in quickly to take his place. We made the field goal but Bill Cowher pulled me aside. He told me I did a good job, but I didn’t report in with the refs, so I was ineligible!
What happened after that ’95 season in Pittsburgh?
I lasted until the last preseason game then was released and picked up by Tampa Bay. According to my agent, he thought it came down to a misunderstanding that happened earlier in the year between me and Dan Ferens – the Business Manager of the Steelers. We had a payphone in the locker room but there was always a line of players to use it, so I would sometimes go to the business office and ask the secretary if I could use the office phone. She never had a problem with it. But then one day Dan came in and started yelling at me about using the phone. Well, I was a grown man and I started yelling back – there was no reason for him to talk to me like that. Well, he didn’t take too kindly to that, let’s put it that way. I think that helped in the end in their decision to release me.
Do you watch the NFL today – any thoughts on the way the game and the tight end position have changed?
The rules suck. It’s not a gladiator sport anymore. You can’t exhibit the same amount of heart – you can’t hit people and fight back the same way. Quarterbacks are fitted with pillows and sheets. Now, everyone gets a trophy and no one has to face bigger hardships. I just think the only way to really build character is if there’s a real winner and loser and for people to learn to try harder. I still love the game, but I detest the way they changed it.
I still root for the Steelers though. I live in Kansas City and people ask me why I root for them when I played for both teams and live here. But Pittsburgh reminded me more of home. And really, I root for both teams anyway. I just like to rile up the people here sometimes!
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
