First, let me know what you’ve bene doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?
Well, right now I’m selling real estate here in Dallas and working with my foundation. We help with breast cancer prevention for low income families. We provide free mammograms – my mother passed away over 20 years ago from breast cancer so this means a lot to me.
Was the post-NFL transition difficult for you?
I knew a lot of guys struggled with retirement before I got to the NFL. Some couldn’t adjust- it was their whole focus and way of life. But I didn’t have any problems. I played for 13 years and am grateful I could. I don’t miss any of it now. I’m totally happy. I think something must be wrong with me because I don’t miss it at all! Maybe because of my longevity it made it easy.
Any thoughts about being Hall of Fame worthy?
The Hall of Fame would be great but you know offensive linemen – no one cares about us! We deal with not being in the spotlight all the time – we just do our job the best we can and try to be successful. We all just want to win. So I’m used to not being in the spotlight!
Tell me how you landed in Pittsburgh after 12 years in Dallas?
In my 12 years there we went to the playoffs three, maybe four times and I didn’t win one playoff game until my last year there against Philadelphia. Then we got our asses whopped by Minnesota! I told my agent I was ready to go – I asked him to ask Dallas to cut me. I was an older player – how many chances left was I going to get to go to a Super Bowl? I didn’t want to stay even if they wanted to keep me.
Well, my agent asked the team to cut me and they did. I wanted to be cut sooner, before free agency, but they cut me later, after many tackles were already signed. I wanted to leave on a high note, but oh well.
The Raiders, Jacksonville, Tampa and Pittsburgh were all interested, my agent said. I said “Pittsburgh?” I knew they went to the playoffs every year! 10+ wins every year! I had a good friend who lived there too – it was a nice city. I told my agent to get me in Pittsburgh! So I ended up signing there – that’s how I ended up there.
It also helped that Colon was hurt so that opened up a spot for me. My agent told me they wanted me to play right tackle – I was a left tackle my entire NFL career. I was skeptical – it was late in my career to be learning how to play on the other side. It’s like a righty learning how to write with their left hand. I knew it would be difficult – but then I just figured it would be another challenge.
Were you coming in to mentor some of the younger guys as well?
Mentor? I didn’t mentor shit! Those that say they like to be mentors are full of crap! If you learn, cool. If not, cool. If you have a question I’ll answer it. But I wasn’t mentoring anybody. And I was really learning a new position myself, anyway.
Did you bond with the guys there? Was it hard after having been elsewhere so long?
It wasn’t like the way it used to be where guys stayed someplace their whole careers. Me staying in one place for 12 years was rare. I didn’t know what to expect on a new team. I knew no one there. Usually you know someone you went to college with or something, but I didn’t know anybody. Just guys I saw on tv!
But the team was so welcoming. Even for an old guy, I appreciated it. Tomlin was a nice guy and Sean Kugler was too. It was really appreciated how welcoming they all were.
Any fun stories of your time there?
Just the typical joking around in the locker room stuff. I do remember walking into the building and passing a cafeteria every day for the first couple of weeks, I’d see one or two players there, but I always went in early. Finally one day I asked Max Starks what the cafeteria was there for. He said “Are you crazy? That’s your cafeteria!” I was shocked. I had no idea the team fed us. They didn’t do that in Dallas! I was making sandwiches for myself in the mornings before I came in!
You made it to the playoffs and Super Bowl that year – what was that like for you?
I knew it was a winning organization – my signing there was a mutual choice and all. But the mindset of the players was just so different than in Dallas. An hour or so before the game – after practice – the locker room just changed. I was a 12-year vet, but I never saw anything like it. The eyes of the guys in the locker room – it was like they were ready to rip peoples’ heads off.
Troy Polamalu was such a nice guy with his quiet voice, He always had a smile. But that second week, before the game, I looked at him, and there was no smile. His eyes were totally different. The offensive line too. They were all business.
It was totally great. We made it to the playoffs and had a bye week. I didn’t know what a bye week was! We played the Ravens – for the third time that season. Those games were like the Eagles games – it didn’t matter what your records were -you could be 1-2 or 12-1 – it was going to be a grudge match. The Steelers always got more hyped versus the Ravens. Ngata – he made my job harder. But once I was able to tire him out my job got easier!
And then the Jets game…
The Jets had a good defensive front -they made a strong comeback. I remember that last play to seal the win. Calvin Pace made an inside move off the edge and I picked up the blitz and Ben flushed right. He threw to Antonio Brown for the first down and that was it – game over. I turned around and Ben yelled at me “You like that Flo? We’re going to the Super Bowl!” I was so excited – that is the greatest moment of my career. Just to make it to the Super Bowl was a special honor. It’s sad we didn’t win, but it was exciting.
I really enjoyed my time in Pittsburgh. I appreciate the organization and my time there. I was just there a year, but what a big year, It was a very good time – I’ll never forget it.
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