Welcome to Steelers Takeaways! – Page 11 – More than 2,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff PLUS interviews with Pittsburgh actors, musicians, authors and more

Exclusive with Pittsburgh’s Own, Ratt drummer Bobby Blotzer

First off, what are you up to now – Ratt and Contraband tours, etc?

I’m basically retired – we’re talking about a reunion next year – Steven, Warren and myself. But for now I’m golfing, riding my bike and taking care of my pets! I’m always looking for something to do.

It’s different now. I’m in bed early and up early. Now I’m waking up when I used to go to bed!

I still like to rock, too. But I had a lot of medical stuff going on – a spinal fusion, hip replacement…I used to be very athletic – raced dirt bikes and snow and water skied. And drummed – there’s a lot of movement in drumming. But the surgeon told me that it was all cumulative trauma – it just wore on my body and I just need to deal with the outcomes now as I do what I do!

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Exclusive with director David Altrogge and Roberto Clemente Jr on “Clemente”, the Movie

First off, can you let us know some of the logistics – when the movie comes out and where we can see it?

David: It comes out in theaters in Pittsburgh and all across the country and Puerto Rico today – you can see the website for how to buy tickets

On the 13th the Byham theater will show the movie, and PNC Park will show it this Sunday on National Roberto Clemente Day

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Exclusive with Pittsburgh Native, Actor Matthew Stocke

First off, how did you get interested in acting? Where did it start for you?

It’s crazy – my path has been different than most. I was a good athlete as a kid. I was a 6’0 white dude that happened to be captain of my basketball and baseball teams!

I was real good as a pitcher. In fact Dejan Kovacevic interviewed me when I was a Senior in high school – I was one of the top 10 prospects in 1990.

After high school I went to Mount St. Mary’s – they had a great basketball program – they are always in the NCAA Tournament. I played baseball there – playing college baseball was always my dream. My dad and I used to watch the College World Series on ESPN together.

Pitching took me to college. In high school we won a lot of games and were in the WPIAL playoffs.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Punter Mat McBriar, 2013

First off, what have you been up to since your time in the NFL?

After I retired I realized financially I was too young – I had a fine career but needed to do something more for a piss! For the first couple of years I didn’t do a ton- I had young kids and my focus was on them. We moved to San Diego where we live now – right around the time I signed with the Steelers.

I was interested finance – that’s what I studied in Australia. I took an initial role with a small fund out here then changed course the last few years and became an analyst on the natural gas trading floor. Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Punter Mat McBriar, 2013”

Exclusive with Former Steelers/Gladiators Wide Receiver Russell Hairston, 1987

First off, can you let us know what you’ve been doing since your football days?

Now I’m a practicing attorney in Washington, DC. I’m a criminal defense attorney – its something I always wanted to do. It caught my interest early on and I really enjoyed law school.

Was the adjustment from football to post-football life difficult? Did playing help you as a lawyer in any way?

Indeed it was. I had to get glasses, for starters! In law school I was reading 250 pages a night!

The competitive nature – that need to compete. When I first tried cases I’d find out who the prosecutor was and go to their trials if they had one before mine. I did it kind of like a scouting report. The judge would always laugh when he saw me and ask if there was a reason I was there!

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Trey Edmunds, 2018-2022

First off, what are you up to now?

I’m blessed – I’m a husband and father – life is different now. We relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina and I’m doing different things here work-wise.

I have the non -profit thing going on with my brothers – My Brother’s Keeper. We’re doing different events in the Danville, Virginia are where we’re from and have branched out to other areas where we’ve played as well. We’re in the process of opening up an after-school program in January, 2026 so we’re excited about that.

Outside of that I am also working with Pro Athlete Community – PAC – where we help pro athletes transition from professional sports to life after sports. That’s been wonderful.

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Exclusive with John Denny, Executive Director of the Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research

First, how and why did you start working with the Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research?

I’ve had a long history with the foundation community in Pittsburgh. I worked for Elsie Hillman for 25-plus years on civic projects and that brought me into the circle of the Rooneys since they did a number of projects together. I got to know Art and when he decided to launch the Chuck Noll Foundation he asked if I’d serve as the executive director. That was early 2017 – that’s how I got involved. I’m by no means a science expert or expert in brain injury research. My strength is in managing the foundation’s operations and facilitating connections.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Coach James Saxon, 2014-2018

First off, what are you up to now?

I’m living here in Indianapolis now, being a dad. I have a four-year old dude who is just getting smarter and more active-that’s harder than coaching!

Are you looking to coach again?

If it happens yes. But what happened in Arizona – the issue with me and my wife … we’re still together now. But it was a bad two hours and wasn’t something that was supposed to happen.

I’m not sure what people think now -the landscape changes and if you don’t have those relationships – it’s tough to crack that. It is what it is. I’m not not working because I don’t know how to coach. But I’m trying to be better because of all that happened.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Toney Clemons, 2012

First off, can you let me know what you’ve been up to?

It depends on the day of the week! Five days a week I’m working in the natural gas industry – working on excavations and move-outs. My day starts at five a.m. and ends anywhere from 3:30 to 11:30 at night. It depends on the day. I enjoy doing it – every day is different.

In my private life it’s been all about the entrepreneurial ecosystem. My family have all been entrepreneurs – my father was in real estate, my mother has a message therapist business, my older brother owns a landscaping business and my sister is in health and wellness and education for a non-profit.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Toney Clemons, 2012”

Exclusive with Pittsburgh Actor/Director James Widdoes

First off, any projects you’re working on now?

I finished work on a new series for Netflix last Christmas with Leanne Morgan. That will be coming out soon – it’s a half-hour comedy. I have three-to-four projects on the next frontier. One is a very successful series in Spain I’m trying to bring to the states, via Fox.

With all of the new platforms for content, has that made things easier?

You gotta start them to get them on. I like the developing side of things. I’ve been fortunate since the early 90s to be able to take shows from an initial idea on air a bunch of times. The newer platforms have diminished and diluted the more traditional ways. But frankly, since Covid and the two strikes, less is being done now.

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