First, can you let me know what you got involved with after your time in the NFL?
After my playing days I got my first job working at a juvenile detention center. It was very rewarding but very challenging working with young kids who had gone astray, trying to instill some values into them.
My friend who also played football in the NFL had worked there and mentioned it to me – that’s how I got started there.
Did the fact you played football help you in the job?
The kids knew my background and that did help me talk to those young men. Some had the same aspirations to play and they all had respect for the game – so they listened to me more. When kids know you are successful at something they often listen more.
What was the biggest challenge you faced adjusting to post-NFL life?
Challenge is the correct word. I asked myself where I should go now – what my calling was now that football was over? I spent a couple of years not doing much until I found a job that I got a reward out of doing.
Looking back on it, did you know the Steelers were interested in you before they drafted you in ’75?
My Senior year at Mississippi Valley State I was named the wide receiver of the year. I knew Bill Nunn then but I had no idea they wanted to draft me. I thought the Rams would draft me – they had 11 draft picks in the first few rounds and called me before the draft asking me how to get to get to Mississippi Valley State.
Then Bill Nunn called in the 13th round and told me “Congratulations – you’ve just been drafted by the Steelers!”
Were you excited the Steelers took you?
No I wasn’t! The year before they drafted Swann and Stallworth and before that they took Frank Lewis. I played against Frank in college when he was at Grambling. But I knew they were stacked at wide receiver so I was thinking “Why me?”
Did any of those guys help mentor you – how so?
I played against Stallworth in college too. He and Frank taught me how things went in Pittsburgh – how to do things and how to transition to professional football. I still stay in contact with Frank – he was a mentor to me then. I was hot-headed and he knew how to calm me down.
Were you frustrated at not getting enough reps?
I wanted things and I wanted them now. I was going 100 mph when I should have been going 75 mph. I’d get frustrated – “Why aren’t they throwing the ball to me?” My second year they were still calling me rookie and telling me to take my time.
What did the coaches say to you?
Lionel Taylor would say “What color was Napoleon’s white horse?” He tried to make you stop and think for a minute and get you to stop worrying about things. He’d say things like that out of the blue – when someone asks you that for a second it makes you stop and think.
What stood out most of your time there in Pittsburgh?
The organization itself. They handled the business of football so well. They took care of their players. We had a cafeteria and got to choose our food. When I was traded to Buffalo I asked where the cafeteria was and they told me to go to the Chuck Wagon that was parked outside and buy a sandwich.
Were you upset at being traded?
They had so much depth at the position in Pittsburgh. Being traded gave me a chance to shine somewhere else. I wasn’t upset – I wanted to go somewhere where I could play.
Any on-field plays stand out?
The 63-Dig. That was Bradshaw’s favorite play to throw to me. The wide receiver would run a post then break it off and the tight end would run up the field and clear it out for the receiver to break behind him. Terry loved to throw to me on that play.
I remember playing Dallas too – I caught a few passes and one was over the middle. The defensive back tackled me from behind and then Randy White came over top of me trying to dislodge the ball, but it didn’t work. He turned back then and said “Good job rook!”
Any fun or poignant non-playing moments?
God bless the dead – Joe Gilliam was one of the most mischievous people I ever met. He’d go behind Ernie Holmes in the locker room and snap him with a towel then run all around the locker room. I remember Dwight White grabbed him and threw him in the dirty clothes bin! But Joe never learned his lesson! The next day he’d find another big lineman and do it again. He kept it going!
Did you take part in any of that?
I was a quiet guy – I just sat back and watched!
We used to have a great time there though. After the last preseason game we’d break camp with a rookie party. There was always a little hazing going on! They’d blindfold guys and have them navigate things blindfolded. They’d have the rookies stick their hands in stuff that felt like pudding and then take the blindfolds off to see what slimy stuff they were having you put your hands in!
Do you still watch the NFL today – any thoughts on the way the game has changed?
I love the way the game has changed. I know some of the calls protecting quarterbacks are questionable, but I love the way the game is played now. I watch every Sunday from 1:00 to 11:00. I’m amazed at the way these receivers catch passes today. I think if I came out in the draft today I’d have to be a defensive back! These receivers today are just unbelievable.
I’m not one of those guys that said that the guys today couldn’t play when we did. These players are bigger, faster and stronger. When I played I had 4.3 speed. Now there are defensive linemen running 4.5’s. I love the way the game has changed.
Any other thoughts from your time there?
My time in Pittsburgh – it was very enjoyable. The winning – and the players were so warm and inviting. They made me see what brotherhood was like. Noll – he was one of the brightest coaches I ever met – he was so innovative. He always had that low voice – I never heard him raise an octave!
When I first saw Lambert I thought he was a defensive back – a safety – he was so tall and scrawny.
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