First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing since you retired from the NFL?
Actually, when I first came out, I did a lot of youth training for football. Then I moved on and started my own trucking company – 18 wheelers. I worked with underprivileged kids before deciding to stop for a while.
Now, I’m just licking my wounds from the NFL and being a dad. Taking it easy.
Was the post-NFL transition difficult for you?
It wasn’t hard at all for me. I went from a starter in Cleveland to not much playing time by the time I was done, so I knew where I was headed before I retired. I was already getting prepared and had started work on starting the trucking company before I stopped playing.
What made you decide to sign with the Steelers in free agency, of all teams?
They were the first team to call. I got calls later from other teams but I had played for Bruce Arians in Cleveland. It wasn’t the best opportunity for me – Coach Cowher told me that if it wasn’t broken they weren’t going to fix it. That they probably weren’t going to put me in front of the other guys in terms of playing time. But I liked the team and knew I’d feel comfortable there.
It’s nothing I regretted – I loved my time there.
What made the team different from Cleveland and the others you played for?
I told the Cleveland guys I played with. Cleveland may have beaten Pittsburgh once when I was in Cleveland, but the talent between the two teams wasn’t that different. The comradery and the coaching is what beat the other teams.
Everyone showed you around when I got there – they all ate together – some went on vacation together. I hung out with Jeff Reed and Ike – I didn’t hang out with kickers and cornerbacks before that!
Washington, Hines, Randel El – they were all helpful – all welcoming. Guys reached out all the time. It was a great time – the wives even took my wife in with open arms. It was awesome.
How about the coaches?
The best thing for me – I was in awe of Cowher. In 7 on 7’s, he would line up at linebacker sometimes. He kept it light.
When we traveled to play Cleveland for the last game of the year, my wife looked at taking a flight in to be there. Someone in the organization heard about that and they let her ride the team bus with us instead to Cleveland and let her stay in the same room with me. That was a big “wow” moment. It is the ultimate franchise. When people say it’s the best, they mean it. It’s the truth.
Why was Cleveland so different?
They would never have allowed that. They didn’t keep it loose like that. We were young guys and liked to dress our own way, but the coaches had dress codes for us – we had to wear suits and ties.
In Pittsburgh it was about football – they were loose. We could wear sweats – whatever we wanted to games. You’d run through a wall for a coach like Coach Cowher. He made you feel welcome. There were no distractions then – no inside noise.
Even at the end of the season when we had to win those last three games. Most teams would panic and try to come up with a lot of new things. Cowher met with us and told us we weren’t going to change anything. That we were going to play like we always did. And look what happened.
Was it frustrating to come in and have a more limited role on the team?
For me – I was a football player first. I would have played safety, running back, anything. I was a football player first, I think that’s one thing I think they liked about me – they knew I could be like a Swiss Army Knife.
The guys there were so unselfish. On special teams I knew they would block for me. That made me feel comfortable returning kicks. I didn’t want to return kicks in Cleveland – I was a starting receiver then so I didn’t like the idea! But in Pittsburgh when they offered me the opportunity I knew it was a chance for me to play. And I trusted those guys to block – that gave me the extra confidence.
So it didn’t really other you a lot that season?
I loved playing in Pittsburgh – even when I was in Cleveland. I played four years n Cleveland, in Dallas and Denver too – big fan cities. But Pittsburgh had the best fans.
I was there for just one season, but my personal testimony was that playing there put the love of football back in my heart. Just being around those players and coaches – this is why I played football. It was fun again – like it was when I was a kid. This is why I started playing.
What happened the following season that caused you to leave?
I regret how it ended. I broke my ankle in the playoffs and when I came back I was behind Hines, Nate, Ced..and they drafted Santonio Holmes. I felt like I could have been the second or third wide receiver on the team. And I thought I proved that in camp the next year.
I said that to Bruce Arians and Coach Cowher. I told them that I didn’t want to be the fourth wide receiver and asked them to trade or cut me. It was a dumb move in hindsight. Your pride gets to you.
Hampton told me to just stay and ride it out – you never know what can happen. I just didn’t listen to him. I didn’t wish an injury on anyone but it turned out that if I stayed I probably would have ended up being the second or third receiver.
What do you think of the NFL today and how it has changed?
Oh wow. Being a wide receiver, you can’t be touched anymore. The game was physical then. I got hit by a rookie Troy Polamalu after I caught a pass – he speared me right in the back. These days you an’t do that – he would have been ejected or penalized.
My best season was around 970 yards – I could have had 1,100 yards today. You can’t get hit over the middle – it’s a lot easier now. The game has definitely changed, but I still love it. There are so many talented players. I still enjoy it a lot.
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
