First, can you let us know how retirement has been treating you – what have you been up to?
Well, I am retired now, and I’m very good at it! I loved being in football and I love being out of it now. I’m fortunate to have my grandkids in the same town as me here in Northeast Georgia – in a small town we love called Clarksville. Every day I’m going to a swim meet or basketball or baseball game. We love this little town and my wife and I love the slow life here!
Was retirement difficult for you – getting to sleep in now fun?
Actually, I still don’t sleep in! I still get up around five or six every morning. It’s a habit you get into through the years that’s hard to break.
Retirement wasn’t that difficult for me. I do miss the camaraderie with the coaches and players. I miss that. Other than that the stress and hours I don’t miss. I loved the competition in football but I get that now with golf and little league games!
So stepping back, let’s talk about how it started in Pittsburgh. What brought you to the Steelers in ’94?
Well, I was in Denver then went to Birmingham to be their head coach in the new World Football League. That’s when they had five teams in the US and five teams outside the US. The league became NFL Europe after that then folded. I stayed in Birmingham as the head coach of Samford. Bill Cowher called me with an opening for a wide receivers coach. He and I had competed when I was in Denver and he was in Cleveland and Kansas City.
It wasn’t a difficult decision choosing between Samford and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
What was he asking from you at that position – what did he want you to bring to that receiving corps?
He knew we had a good group of receivers but wasn’t sure how good they could be. He wanted me to come in with some new ideas and maybe take over at offensive coordinator when Ron Earhardt left. Ron was getting up in years and he thought, possibly, I could take over. We were fortunate – we played well – we had some good defenses and won a lot of games. We had great success over those four years.
You coached at the college and NFL level – did you have a preference between the two?
There were two things – both positive. At the college level you can impact the players’ lives more. You help them go from teenagers to manhood and influence their lives.
At the pro ball level, you don’t have to recruit. That takes so much time away from your family. I liked the pro game because it gave me more family time.
Having coached in the pro ranks for so long, what did you notice about how college players changed over time as they came into the NFL?
They did become much different. You now find offensive linemen that never played with their hand on the ground and wide receivers who only lined up on one side of the field. They never had to learn routes on the other side. Many quarterbacks never take snaps under center.
They are better athletes who are well-coached at what they are asked to do but are not asked to do many things. I’ve written a whole dissertation on how quarterbacks have changed over the years and what it means for the NFL.
Tell me about that?
Quarterbacks have had limited exposure over the years – moreso than in the past. You have to teach them more of the pro game now. Lots of quarterbacks don’t understand how to run a quarterback sneak – they never played under center. Play action – can they do that? They never did it in college. So as a team it’s very hard to know if they can do it. You’re guessing if they can or not. Can they do a fake dive and bootleg the other way? If they have never been asked to do it – if they haven’t been exposed – it’s hard to know if they can at the pro level.
What were some of the unique ideas you did bring to the Steelers?
Oh I think the things we did with Kordell. Slash. He played quarterback and wide receiver. Teams wouldn’t know what was coming with him in there -we had great diversity with him in there. We were going to diversify those packages even more and expand on them but I went to Dallas.
How did you help make that Slash role happen?
Well you take things you’ve learned and get input from the staff. Watch a lot of college film to get more ideas and try different things. It just evolved. You don’t wake up in the middle of the night and have an epiphany.
Kordell wanted to play quarterback but he played receiver one day in practice and he ended up looking really good there. Cowher sat him down and told him he knew he wanted to play quarterback but wanted him to help the team right now at receiver. So he did. The next year he played both receiver and quarterback and then he played quarterback.
How did Kordell handle that at first?
I think he handled it very well. I wouldn’t say excited was a word I’d use. But he did it. I give him credit for that. Cowher handled it extremely well – how he approached him and worked with Kordell. Kordell trusted him and knew he’d get his chance.
Any me memories stand out most of your time there?
My biggest memory is that I had one parking pass for me and my family for the stadium on game days. Because of the way the schedule was sometimes, I’d come early to the stadium and park in the outer lots so my wife and son could park in the closer spot.
I just remember walking through all of the tailgaters. It was amazing seeing the passion and setups of the fans. All of the food and how into it the Pittsburgh fans were. They were amazing – how passionate those fans were.
Obviously, we went to a Super Bowl and were two-time AFC champions, so it was a good time to be there!.
Any of the fans recognize you?
No – they didn’t recognize me. If it were Cowher or the players they would have. But no one recognizes us coordinators!
Any of the players you coached stand out to you?
Dermontti Dawson was one of the best centers to ever play the game in my opinion. I have so much respect for the way he went about his business. We couldn’t do half the things we did without him.
And any time you have guys like Bettis – he was a great player. But people forget about guys like Tim Lester who was a great fullback and played on special teams. He made a lot of things go. And Mark Bruener didn’t get enough accolades for his play. He was a great tight end and great guy.
Any last thoughts on the game and the way it’s changing?
I’m nervous about it. I think in 10 to 15 years it won’ t be the same game I started in. People in America still love the gladiator aspect of the game. They love the tough guys who put their bodies on the line. They honor those guys.
I’m scared we’re getting away from that aspect of the sport. It’s getting closer to touch football. Tom Brady can play for as along as he wants. But do you remember Y.A. Tittle? Those guys couldn’t do that then. No way.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
