First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing since your time in the NFL?
I’m now in Atlanta – working for Georgia State University as an associate registrar. I never thought I’d be back in higher education – I thought I’d become a coach or do something in sports. I look back at the support I had as an athlete in school – it was all laid out for us. That has helped me focus everyday on helping students now who need that support.
It’s rewarding helping kids graduate – many came here from different situations. I’ve been able to do this now for 17 years.
Was it hard adjusting to post-NFL life?
Definitely. There’s nothing like playing football – the brotherhood, sharing the blood, sweat and tears. That was a dream job. From high school to college most guys never think about what they want to do after football – then you’re scrambling to figure it out. Luckily I had great support from my family and I was able to finish the last semester I had left at Mississippi to graduate. I moved back to Tallahassee then got married and relocated here to Atlanta.
It wasn’t hard but it wasn’t easy either. My thing was, I knew this was only going to last a certain amount of time. I came out healthy – you see a lot of guys who come out with issues. People struggle getting adjusted – with the transition. I knew I had to put all of myself into the game before I got out and I did. I just knew it was just a chapter of my life and I’m proud of it.
How did you end up in Pittsburgh in ’92?
After the draft my agent called me. During the draft the Giants called me a couple of times and I thought they were going to draft me. I was very disappointed after the draft and didn’t know anything about the free agency process. A number of teams had worked me out before the draft so I knew there had been interest.
My agent told me he made some calls after the draft and he thought Pittsburgh would be it. I said “Ok. We’ll see.” But the next day they sent me the paperwork, I signed it and was on a plane to Pittsburgh.
When I got there I told myself I was going to put it all on the table. That’s how I got a spot there. Cowher had just gotten there. I was a Cowboys fan growing up so it was crazy going to Pittsburgh. But I came to love the area and the Pittsburgh mindset – there was nothing like it. It was a great situation for me.
Were there guys who took you under their wing and helped you out when you got there?
Definitely – there were three guys – Jeff Graham, Ernie Mills and Dwight Stone. Those were my guys. They gave me great feedback. One bad practice as an undrafted free agent and that can be it. So I had to get the terminology down fast – Ron Erhardt was there and he had a new system that people bought into. But those guys took time on and off the field to help me.
And Lipps – they were deciding on whether or not to keep him or go with someone younger – so that was going on too. Jeff and Ernie – they were drafted a year before me and I came in as a rookie with Charles Davenport. Charles and I learned off one another and fought for reps together every minute.
What did those guys help you with most?
They showed me how to be a professional. Coming into the league from college, I was used to going from practice to study hall. These guys had families – this was a business for them. This was the real world – a job. So they showed me how to treat it like that – to learn the terminology and the way they wanted me to run routes.
And special teams – that opened my eyes. Cowher was big on special teams and my ability to handle punt returns helped me make the team.
Any memories stand out most for you?
When we played Philadelphia and I caught a touchdown. That was my first touchdown and the first time my wife – girlfriend then – saw me play. I also almost had another touchdown – I caught a Hail Mary that Jeff tipped to me, but it was called back due to a penalty. It was great for her to see me score a touchdown.
In training camp at Latrobe – those were all memorable moments. Back then it was more physical – I understand why they do it like they do today, but it was totally different then. It was a real camp. Having adult conversations with the coaches – I grew up there. Playing cards with the guys – that’s when I learned how to be a pro and I still take those lessons with me today. Fighting and establishing myself there. I learned so much. It could be overwhelming at times, with all of that history and those championships. But it was a great feeling.
Any funny memories?
Yeah with Jeff and Ernie – me and Davenport wanted to hang out with those veterans – to be one of the guys. We all stayed at the same complex. Jeff and Ernie would go out almost every night – we’d go with them, we just couldn’t hang out like they did. But when you rolled with them, there was no Uber or Lyft then. So when you rolled with them you rolled with them all night!
That was back when there were a lot of after-hour clubs in Pittsburgh. We had to get up earlier than those guys for special teams meetings in the morning. And those were run by Cowher, so you couldn’t fall asleep or not pay attention in those meetings! But we’d go out with those guys and it’d be 12:30 and Jeff and Ernie would look at us looking at the time and ask us if we weren’t having fun. We’d say “Sure we are!” But they had that second or third gear we just didn’t have.
What happened after that season?
I was released during the season after I played a few games and was brought back on the practice squad. But they brought in Yancey Thigpen and he was better suited for special teams. They used him as a gunner and I was more of a punt returner – and they had Rod Woodson returning punts then. So they released me after that.
It’s funny because San Francisco was in Pittsburgh that weekend to play the Steelers. So ironically I ended up working out for them in Pittsburgh on our field and ended up signing with them and playing with Jerry Rice and John Taylor. That was a great experience as well.
I tell people now that I played for two great organizations. Pittsburgh was just so much colder and playing on that turf was tough. San Francisco was warm – they set you up then at the best hotels too! But I wouldn’t have wanted to play anywhere else in the world except for Pittsburgh. It was a great experience and Cowher was a great coach. There was nothing like it in the world.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
