Steelers Nation,
It is great to sit down and write about all things Steelers. My time in Pittsburgh, current state of the NFL and life after Pittsburgh are all things that I will try and cover here. Wish I could cover everything, but I am sure that I will miss some things. So Here We Go!
Time In Pittsburgh
I was fortunate or unfortunate, however you want to look at it, to play in a few different cities. None of these cities compare to The Burgh. I try so many ways to explain to people how special of a place it is, but words do not do it justice. The city, the fans and the team are all something that I will remember forever. Obviously, my teammates and coaches are on top of the list of the great memories that I have of my time in Pittsburgh. Being able to play with all of the great men was unbelievable. I always say that most of our success came from within the locker room. We enjoyed being around each other, we enjoyed working together and we enjoyed the competition of practicing against each other. We made each other better. Going up against Dick LeBeau and his group every day in camp prepared us for everything we could possibly see during the season. I do not miss playing, but I miss the guys. I was fortunate to have two great roommates during my time on the road. Alan Faneca and Mark Bruener were great players, great men and great friends. Thinking back on all the conversations we had during camp and on the road are times that I will forever remember. Throwing to and handing the ball off to Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress, Jerome Bettis and Antwaan Randle El made the game fun to play. There are too many teammates to name them all, but it was an honor to suit up with each and every one of them.
Steeler Nation is second to none when it comes to fans of a team. The atmosphere at Heinz Field made it the greatest play in the world. People ask me all the time if I could go back and do something one more time what would it be? That is easy, I would love to run out of the tunnel one more time seeing all the fans waving their terrible towels. It is a site that I will never forget. Your support for the Steelers is amazing. Steeler fans have a passion for the city and the team that makes it a great place to play. Passion is a funny thing sometimes. Because of your great passion, when things are not going so well you are very passionate about that as well. You were passionate and your cheers and passionate in telling me when I sucked. But let’s face it passion is passion and I did suck sometimes. Some chose to remember the good and some will always choose to remember the bad and that is the way it will always be. I will chose to remember the great time I had with the fans. The interaction that I was able to have with so many of you and the memories that my kids have of our great city. Thank you all for making this time in my career and in my life something that I will cherish forever.
State of the NFL
The NFL, football in general, is in such a crazy spot right now. The game that I grew up playing, the game I entered in 1992 and the game now are totally different. The players are getting faster, bigger, stronger and continue to do things that once was thought to be impossible. Concussions have been something that the League, and everyone involved, have tried to figure out, but truthfully I don’t think we will ever find a solution. Football is a violent game. We will never be able to take the violence out of the game. It is what separates football from every other team sport. I agree that we need to take away anything that is not necessary, but a QB getting landed on is going a little too far. With the speed of the game and the size of the players, we can never take away the injuries that are going to happen. It is a fine line, between making sure the players are protected and taking away from the game. I am just glad that I do not have to make those decisions.
As for the Steelers, I am just as a big of a fan as all of you these days. I get just as excited and just as frustrated as you do. They have shown flashes of being really good this year and I know they have frustrated you at times as well. I am writing this after the Charger game so I know many of you are at your breaking point. I will say this, the strength of the Steelers organization is in these times. So many organizations will panic, will start blaming and looking for answers, but not the Rooney family and not the Steelers. They firmly believe that the answers are within the people they have there and they will figure out how to get through this. A couple of big wins coming up and this will be all in the past. Ben and the rest of the leadership will step up in the locker room and I believe that you will see a different team take the field next week.
Life After Football
Life after football has been good. Both of my kids are grown. Kacy graduated from Texas A&M and is teaching English and coaching basketball. Colby went to Arkansas University and studied Sports Management. Jen and I are empty nesting well with our four dogs. I am the Head Baseball Coach at Decatur High School and work with the quarterbacks in the fall. As much as I loved and appreciated all of my years in Pittsburgh and the NFL, I love what I am doing now. Working with young people to help them in the classroom and on the field at the high school age has been such a great experience. My first year of coaching we were able to win a state championship and so now I am looking for more I teach Business Management classes and get to help students learn how to prepare for a career after school. High School age kids have so much going on in their lives, it is so important that they have good people in their lives to help them along the way and I pray that I can be a small piece of that. I watch every Sunday and as time goes by I miss it less and less. Nowadays I get my enjoyment from watching others work hard to fulfill their dreams, helping others be more than they thought they could be and seeing the excitement that each and every day has in store for them.
I am so thankful to the city of Pittsburgh, my son still calls it home, the Rooney family, the Steeler organization, my teammates and most of all the fans. You made getting to play this game so enjoyable. I will be watching along with you as we try to get number 7 and I will forever consider myself lucky to say that I once was and will always be a Steeler. Blessings!!