So first off, what made you decide to sign with the Steelers as a free agent?
I just had a lot of faith in the Steelers organization. I’ve been a huge NFL fan and have seen how good Tomlin and Colbert have run things there. You can see their involvement in the community and the production of the team. It felt like a good fit for me.
Have you spoken to any of the Alabama guys that ended up with the Steelers?
The main guy I talked to was J.C. Hassenauer – more when he was still at Alabama. I learned a lot from him. He was a backup center there and he showed me then how you prepare and take care of yourself and stay ready for opportunities. How he made his name at Alabama and ended up getting his opportunity at Atlanta then Pittsburgh. He told me it’s a hard grind and you have to find ways to separate yourself and show you can do the job.
Najee and Minkah – I’ve spoken to them over the years and they told me how the NFL was. I learned from them more about the organization overall. What I liked about Pittsburgh was that just like Alabama, they are big on accountability. I’m a big accountability guy and Pittsburgh I was told holds everybody accountable – it takes everyone to be successful.
One of your big assets is your versatility – but has that been a double-edged sword for you as well?
It was initially weird. I started off as a redshirt Freshman in college playing center and I never played center in high school – or guard. I wasn’t comfortable at first but I spoke with Coach Marrone who told me that being versatile will add to my marketability when I go to the NFL. Not everyone can do it all.
I look at Elgton Jenkins now in Green Bay – I see my career being like that. I’m excited to be able to do something for the team no matter where they need me.
Any preferences on where you’d like to play?
No preferences – I never had that opportunity to choose really. I never played the same position consecutively – the closest was this year playing offensive tackle, but even then I moved inside versus LSU.
Any area you are looking to improve upon most?
I want to be more consistent when I’m moving around between positions. I don’t want to just have a good game or practice at one position – I need to be consistent at all spots. I need to continue to take extra reps at center and other positions to get more consistent.
You’ve spoken before about your love of the game and desire to be a GM some day – and following closely the moves teams make now. How has that affected the way you approach the game as a player – especially now in the NFL?
I think it’s given me a deeper understanding of what teams are trying to do with their roster turnover and moves. That’s what has helped to show me the importance of becoming more versatile. They are apt to keep you around if you are able to contribute in different ways – they can add to other positions if you’re versatile enough to save them one.
It’s also helped me to learn how to study other players in the league. My mom follows the game a lot and I can tell her about what’s going on.
How did you get started playing football in the first place?
Madre Harper – he’s with Carolina now – when I moved from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina to Alabama he asked me to join the Little League team there. I never played in an organized league before – we just played street ball in Louisiana. So I said yeah and my family all got onboard and it all started from there.
Have you applied that same roster introspection to the Steelers to see where you think your best role or opportunity is there?
Yeah of course I’ve kept track of their offseason moves – the signing of James Daniel who is a multiple position guy as well. And the other moves they made on the interior of the line. I’ve kept up with it not just for me but because I have a general interest in it.
I feel like it was a perfect fit. My agent and I talked about it. On draft day there’s a lot of chaos. My agent said you want to make a greater decision but you can’t drag your feet – teams will pull offers. Looking at their roster before and knowing what I did about the team, I felt comfortable signing with the Steelers.
You know any of the guys in the draft class?
A friend of mine’s good friends with George Pickens but I don’t know any of the other guys. I played against DeMarvin Leal and blocked him a few times. He is crazy versatile – he can play on the inside or outside. He did a spin move on the edge – I didn’t know he had that in his bag! I was just like “Oh damn. He’s for real!”
Lastly, what should fans know about you that has nothing to do with football?
I’m a big baseball fan – I actual got into it a long time ago. I heard going to Pirates games are cool.
It’s not hard to get tickets!
Ha! But Ke’Bryan Hayes – he’s a fun guy to watch!
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
