First, can you let us know what you’ve been doing since your time in Pittsburgh?
I have a mortgage bank branch that I run now. When I was playing I began flipping houses and worked on the real estate side of things and found the mortgage side was haywire. So I wanted to become one of the lenders that do it the right way – to make it a good experience. I’ve been doing it for twelve years now and have had good traction – all through word of mouth.
How hard was the post-NFL adjustment for you?
It wasn’t too difficult. You’re not in the limelight anymore and you miss the excitement but it was an easy transition. I had my business degree and set things up as a player for when I wasn’t playing anymore.
Were you surprised to be drafted by Pittsburgh that high – what did they tell you when they called?
I was surprised to be drafted by Pittsburgh but not surprised to go that high. I actually thought Cleveland was going to draft me higher based on conversations I had with them. I don’t remember having that much communication at all with the Steelers.
Mark Gorscak called me on draft day to let me know I was drafted. He was a coach at Weber State where I went to college. He passed the phone to Coach Cowher who just asked if I was excited to be a Steeler.
Who helped mentor you both on and off the field as a rookie?
Everybody helped a little bit but then you learn your way. Jerame Tuman and I became good friends. Flowers, Washington – they were instrumental in helping me get acclimated.
What were the hardest things to adapt to and learn?
The hardest thing was trying to play the way I did in my college career while doing what they wanted me to do. I wanted to go out and perform the way I knew I could, but felt restricted by the way they asked me to play. I took too much of what they said to heart, I think.
How so?
I was a big safety and they wanted me to go in and knock peoples’ heads off. For me though, I wanted the interception versus the big hit. The big hit looks great on the highlight reel but the interception helps the team more. I would rather get the ball then take someone’s head off. That’s how I played in college. But the system we played in was the opposite.
A small example. We all had different jobs on Hail Mary’s. I was 6’5″ and wanted to knock the ball down due to my size. But if the ball was thrown to the other side of the field they wanted me to shadow the play and tackle someone if the ball was caught before the endzone instead. It was just small things like that.
What were the coaches/vets doing to help you through that?
As a younger guy, you take what the coaches tell you to do and do it. The veterans could maybe get away with more. But you’re limited in what you can do. And there was a chain of command. Your defensive backs coach may tell you what you could do to help you play as you liked but then the defensive coordinator or head coach may not like it and tell you that. So while guys like Tim Lewis were great in letting us play, we were told what we needed to do from above instead.
How do you walk that line between being the player that got you there but also being the player the team is now asking you to be. Can you talk about that more?
Every guy on the team I talked to about it felt the same way. We’d all rather go for the interception. But it’s a fine line. I don’t know why it is. We all felt the same way. I guess because we’re the last line of defense, if you play it your way and you make a play that is great. But if you don’t make a play, then it’s a bigger problem and the coaches let you have it. They’ll let you know about it for sure.
But, I felt it really restricted my ability to be successful. I was playing in a system that didn’t fit who I was.
What funny/poignant experiences stand out most to you looking back on your time in Pittsburgh?
The comraderie between the guys. When you play in college in the national spotlight all is good. You’re the big guy there. But as a rookie in camp you’re no longer the top dog in college. It’s like being eighteen all over again. The skits, singing on tables, it was all fun.
What are your thoughts on the more pass-friendly changes to the game -especially as they affect the safety position?
It’s tough. I might have benefited had I played today since I am more of a guy to go get the ball, which is what they are doing more of now. It’s built around a different system. Defensive backs are limited. It really doesn’t make a lot of sense, as defensive backs just ending up hurting receivers more because they have to hit them low, in the knees, instead of hitting them up high. It’s hard for defensive backs now to do what they are supposed to do.
Any thoughts for young guys entering the game today?
My best advice, which I wish I gave myself, is to play the game the way you played it your whole career. Keep doing the things you did well before and just get better at them. Don’t feed into the BS side of the game. Just play. No matter how much money you make, also remember you have to have something to fall back on. This is just a portion of your life. Keep that in mind, because every play really could be your last.
Steelers Takeaways fundraising drive!
Help keep these free interviews coming! If you can, please donate as little (or as much!) as you like by contributing to Steelers Takeaways here:
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/pittsburghsports
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
