First, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your time in the NFL?
I have a six-year old daughter first of all.
I owned my own group home at risk youth, but recently sold that. I taught for seven years as well but it got real difficult teaching because my short term memory is bad now. It was too tough keeping up with the youth and rigors of the work. After that I became a security guard at a high school for a while.
Are the memory issues due to playing football?
Then short term memory issues are directly related, yes. I’m involved in the concussion litigation. They’re doing players wrong, in my opinion. I had a qualifying diagnosis, but they threw it away because they said my doctor did too many tests over the time period. They had me see their doctors for testing, but everyone I know who has seen their doctors got turned away afterwards.
Outside of the concussion issues, how hard has the post-NFL adjustment been for you?
I always had the intent on working with youth, It was my dream to own my own business. A friend of mine – an Arizona State teammate – talked about the idea with me to start the youth home. I was in real estate at the time handling a couple of rental properties. So, three of us started the hoe from the ground up and worked eight-hour shifts seven days a week until it got big enough to hire staff.
The adjustment itself was hard in the beginning. I had no work experience. I went to school and played in the NFL – but when it was over I had no other work experience. I couldn’t get a job at first. I ended up starting with a registry – where you put your name down and you get picked up for jobs working with youth, I did that for a year until I could get a job.
You were a good track and field athlete as well – why decide to play football?
The NFL was always a dream of mine. I grew up in the Bay area watching Jim Rice and Joe Montana. My older brother was a good football player too, and I wanted to be like him. So it was my dream to be in the NFL and be on TV.
You started off your career as an undrafted free agent in Jacksonville but ended up in Pittsburgh a few years later. How did that occur?
I was an undrafted free agent and signed with Jacksonville. I was disappointed. I was a pretty highly ranked wide receiver in college but I didn’t have good numbers as a senior. So the next season Jacksonville drafted Soward in the first round and that led to me being released. But the Jacksonville coach was fired and went to Cleveland, so he picked me up on the Cleveland roster. Then Buster Davis came in and cleaned house and fired all of the coaches and kept his guys. I was released there and picked up by Pittsburgh for their practice squad. After two weeks they put me on the active roster – I was better than the fifth or sixth receiver they had then.
They had you return kicks and punts and you had some success doing so. How did that happen and what made you successful?
I was creative with the ball – I could make people miss. Kick returning wasn’t my specialty – it’s not even what I wanted to do. But it was an opportunity for me to get the ball. They asked everyone who could return kicks and I told them I did. It was just another opportunity for me.
I didn’t return punts in college. It takes fearlessness. There were times I was fearful and hesitant. That’s when injuries can happen. I was raised to take a step forward when you feel fear though, and thats what I did.
Who helped you to understand the “Steelers way” and showed you around the team and city?
Joey Porter was one of them. I still talk to him now and then. He and Hines Ward were both cool to me. Joey took me to his home a few times and let me use his car. I stayed over his house for most of the Summer. He made me feel welcome. I met his family and went to Bakersfield with him – that’s where he was from. He was a little bit like a big brother to me.
William Blackwell – he and I became close too. He’s actually the reason I made the team – because he got hurt. Me, him, Bobby Shaw – we would all hang out and rap together.
What are some of your best memories of your time in Pittsburgh?
I remember the fans were real dedicated. When I was a kid I saw highlights of the Steelers and remember seeing the fans standing next to garbage cans with fires inside of them, staying warm. Well, I saw that with my own eyes and it was amazing. Also, we were winning, In Cleveland all we did was lose which was miserable.
The next season though you were released. What happened?
Hank Poteat went down with a toe injury, so they needed more corners and let me go. They had six receivers and only three cornerbacks.
I sat out a few weeks then had a workout with the 49ers. It went ok but I didn’t get an offer. I had a workout in Denver next, near the end of season. I thought the workout was on grass but it was on turf and I had to borrow some shoes, and I ended up rolling my ankle. It wasn’t an excuse, but it wasn’t a great workout. By then my morale was low.
I tried playing in Canada but it was just too far away, and i didn’t like the team really. So I played Arena football and i did well. I played my best in LA in my sixth season, but then they wanted to trade me. I was done then. I just wanted to be home with my family.
Having gone through all that you’ve gone through, what advice would you give to players today?
You need to have a great work ethic. I carried that through the NFL. When I practiced I did all the extra things I could. After practice I’d catch 100 balls, every day.
You have to be prepared for the unexpected and persevere. Take things on the chin and keep pushing. If it’s truly your dream, you have to have a thick skin and keep pushing, and don’t get butt hurt when coaches yell at you or if players stop talking to you if you drop a pass. And that will happen. Keep pushing and work on your craft.
I had a really good experience in Pittsburgh, I wish things were a little different. I felt I had the skillset at wide receiver to show more, but I have no regrets. You know going in it’s not forever. I soaked it all up and appreciate the friendships and my experience I had. Those memories will last forever.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
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