First, what’s been the plan for you and what’s been going on lately?
Well, I’ve been working out and staying in shape – training every day. I just had my first son – he was born November 30th.
So sleeping well!
Ha yeah! I’m staying in shape – staying optimistic. I still love the game and get up every morning at six am to lift and train – doing what I normally would do and just trying to see what will happen next.
Any thoughts on the next thing after football?
I’m 29 – I’m doing some things but I’m not ready to cross over and commit just yet to the next thing. I have been working with young athletes – mentoring them and have been doing some motivational speaking as well at high schools. I like to be a guy the young athletes can talk to and relate to.
Who helped mentor you as a young player?
In New York where I first started, I hung out with Odell – he and I both came into the NFL the same year and had the same injury. Peyton Hillis and Eli Manning too – Eli was a surprisingly funny and cool guy.
In San Francisco I had a great time. Vernon Davis was my favorite tight end in college so it was a cool experience being there with him. He was a great guy and shared a lot of life and game experiences with me. I learned a lot about work ethic from him.
And when I got to the Steelers – that was the best time. That’s where I got the most men worship from guys like William Gay, James Harrison, Spaeth, Miller… I was lucky to be able to grace the field with those guys.
What I picked up most was the old-fashioned, blue collar team mindset. It carried over into the work ethic and how they prepared for games. Every place I’d been took the game seriously, but Pittsburgh took it to another level. They were just all dialed-in. Even when you left the building they were trying to improve themselves – their body, their mentals, everything. I still miss that feeling today.
Everyone was striving to be their best. It was the little things too – the day-to-day. It wasn’t about just one conversation. It was about the mindset and work ethic you say every day. It was cool to be a part of that – that passion. It was one of the best times I ever had playing football.
How did you end up in Pittsburgh as a free agent?
I was on the practice squad in San Francisco but they had like eight tight ends. The 49ers said they’d draft me in the third-to-fifth round but never did. So after the draft I chose the Giants over them – I was still pissed at them. But the Giants released me so I went to San Francisco. It was a good time – they were stacked with guys like Willis, Gore… But I was released in preseason of 2015 and the Steelers picked me up and put me on their practice squad.
Did you know the Steelers had interest in you beforehand?
I actually talked to them at the combine. James Daniel and their head scout said they were interested in me. We ran a pro style offense in college and that’s what they were looking for. It was crazy – I was a huge Steelers fan in college. So just talking to them was surreal. Then to be active in a game for them in 2016 – that was a dream come true. It was a special time.
What do you think helped you stand out and get on the active roster?
I think my physicality. That was always something I was good with in college – that and my ability to make plays.
San Francisco was more of a finesse offense. They emphasized speed and quickness. Pittsburgh had a bigger emphasis on physicality and toughness. After practice Tomlin would have the young guys do one-on-one drills to help guys stand out more. I think I showed grit in those. I was able to stand my ground even with Big Dan {McCullers}. I think that helped push me to the top.
I also accepted the tradition of the Steelers. I trained and pushed myself to the limit. I gelled with the team really well. I was dialed-in – I bought in to the culture. I really wanted it – I worked hard before and after practice and got extra catches and worked with the special teams coach.
It took a while. It’s like a class system if you will – you have to work your way up. There were a lot of key guys there ahead of me but I respected them. I just bought into things and stayed humble. I’d got to James Harrison’s house to see how he recovered and worked out with AB at Gold’s Gym. I earned the respect of my teammates before I did the coaches I think.
What was it like getting that active roster nod?
Man it was a dream come true. The first time I ever watched Ben play I was getting ready for a youth football game. I didn’t know who he was and didn’t know there was a Miami of Ohio! I used to be the guy that played the Steelers all the time on Madden. So playing and scoring my first touchdown in a home game was surreal. Crazy. It’s a memory that will stay with me forever.
Any other good memories that come to mind?
So many of them – good, bad and ugly. We had big winning streaks and I was there when Ryan went down. Man, the earth stopped and we were all standing there crying. It was crazy because we still had to go out after and play. It was the middle of the game.
What enabled you guys to get past that to finish that game?
Before he went down he was our team leader. He was so driven. We’d go to dinner and he’d be mapping out what he wanted to do in the next game.
But it’s football – and you really don’t have a choice but to play. And it’s what Ryan would have wanted us to do. Nothing had to be said by anyone. We were all connected and felt each other’s pain. We all felt like we needed to go out and win for him. I think we all felt like, “How dare we not go out and win it for him.”
Any positive memories stand out?
The AFC Championship game – my fist time in the all black uniform! They told me before the game I’d have a big role that game and had a ganmeplan set out for me. I scored a touchdown – a seam route in the redzone. It was cover-2 but Weddle was so savvy. Still, there was a little opening and Ben got it to me and I caught it for a touchdown. Weddle broke my ribs on that play, but I hardly felt it with all of that adrenaline.
Ben and the fake knee fade to AB too was a good memory. When the pressure was on no one was bothered. We knew with Ben there we would win.
What made Ben so special to play with?
He’s a super-competitor. That’s how he is. He was the greatest competitor I’d ever seen. He has a will to win that’s different than most guys. He doesn’t blink or lose confidence under pressure – or if he does he never shows it. You never feel like you’re going to lose when you’re in the huddle with him. It didn’t matter what the score was.
I played with some quarterbacks who were nervous in the huddle and that changed games. He was a dog – he was unfazed. I haven’t played with anyone else like that. We almost liked it better when we were down to feel that pressure.
Any good moments with him?
In the offseason Ben flew the running backs, tight ends and receivers out to Georgia in a private jet. We all worked out together but the best part was just hanging out and talking. Having those real conversations and getting to know one another. It was really cool. Ben was getting older and there was a real age gap between he and some of the other guys. He wanted us all to have that chemistry. And that’s how real team chemistry is built – it’s not just about what happens on the field. It’s about how you all are off the field. That’s how it works and it was cool to have us all together like that.
Any good stories from that outing?
One was a bet Ben made with Tevin Jones. We stayed at a hotel and it had a super long pool. Ben bet Tevin he couldn’t swim all the way across the pool. Tevin almost drowned trying – by the time he got there we all had to pull him out of the water!
What do you think of the way the game and the Steelers have changed since you last played?
It’s ever-changing. Athletes keep getting bigger and faster and stronger. I love the direction the game has taken.
The Steelers are going through a tough transitional phase. It’s tough for an organization like that. They lost a lot of core guys. But they have one of the best coaches at navigating adversity in Tomlin. That’s what he’s good at. I have no doubt he and Colbert will figure it out. He has what it takes. It’s more than X’s and O’s – it’s about getting young guys together and motivated. It’s about chemistry-building. It’s just a matter of time – they have a lot of young guys there and they need to build a new core of leaders – they have to find those again.
But I have no doubt they will. Tomlin is good at getting guys to like each other and like playing together. And that’s a big difference with the Steelers versus other teams. There’s no way you play for the Steelers and not like the guys there. It’s very college-esque. It’s hard to get 53 guys to gel and be on the same page and care for each other. But Rooney, Coach T. and Colbert – they got it down. It’s like a big family and you can’t knock the chemistry that’s been built there. That’s why it’s the mecca of football.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
