Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL, and how you got started in this?

Since my time in the NFL ended I went back to school at the University of Illinois to earn my Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration. I then went on to start my Insurance agency in late 2005 in Central IL. I enjoyed a successful agency for many years (8) I began to find other interest after I began traveling to Austin TX in 2008 and eventually moved to Austin in 2013. I joined Oracle Corporation recently and I am enjoying learning the Enterprise Software & Hardware sales world.

Continue reading “Rameel Connor, Steelers Defensive Lineman, 2008”

First, can you let readers know about your start in the NFL. You were drafted by San Francisco in round 17 in 1951 – how did you learn about being drafted and were you happy about being drafted by San Francisco?

I was still in school and Larry Moon Mullins told me I was drafted. The funny thing is, I got another notice at the same time from the service, telling me I had to report to an internment center. So I went to the Marine Corps instead. I told the 49ers and they suggested I go and return to the team when I came back.

I was in the service for twenty-three months – in fact I was still in the service when I returned to 49ers camp. I took my fifty days of leave – I had them in the books – so used them at the end of my stay and made the team.

That’s when I also started pro wrestling with Leo Normellini. I was a wrestler in college and he suggested that he and I start wrestling to make some extra money.

Continue reading “Art Michalik, Steelers Linebacker, 1955-1956”

So, first, can you let us know what you are doing with yourself since the NFL?

I’m a speaker and an author – I wrote a book last May on the Millionaire Mindset and am now doing speaking engagements and am out selling my book. I moved back to Madison, Wisconsin and got my communications degree and am a consultant for the university as well. I teach my financial principles to the athletics department. I also do the Gridiron GQ podcast and another one to start soon interviewing athletes who are running their own companies. It’s very cool – it’s for young kids and older players – teaching them about leadership and marketing – helping them learn entrepreneurial skills. It’s got a great response!

I’m still a certified financial planner – I don’t practice but worked for Morgan Stanley or three-and-a-half years. It was a good time but it was too micro. I wanted to work on a macro scale and speak the financial gospel. With compliance, which is understandable in the industry, it didn’t allow me to move the way I wanted.

And, I am also still doing radio for ESPN in Madison covering college football and interviewing former Wisconsin players.

Continue reading “Brandon Williams, Steelers Wide Receiver, 2009”

First, can you let readers know what you are ding with yourself since your time in Pittsburgh?

Well, I’m back at home helping my high school football team in East St. Louis. I’m coaching the defensive backs for them and helping to teach there.

Any coaches and lessons influence the way you coach them?

I tell them every day they are going to go through adversity There are times when they will be down and need to be picked up. There are ups and downs in games – several coaches at Illinois helped me in this. They gave me feedback like a father – guys like Ron Zook.

Continue reading “Terry Hawthorne, Steelers Cornerback, 2013”

First, can you let readers know what you are doing with yourself now?

Well, I moved back to Tuscaloosa – I bought a house there when I was playing in Pittsburgh. I have three children – a nineteen year old son, a son who’s a sophomore, and a daughter that’s twelve. I’ve been married to my wife now for twenty-three years.

I’m a hospital rep for Baxter Health – I sell anesthesia to OR’s in hospitals.

How did you get started in pharma?

When my career ended in Pittsburgh, I soul-searched. I had nine hours left to finish my degree at LSU. I chose pharma – it was a lucrative business. I wanted to mimic what I was making in the NFL and pharma sales was booming at the time. I hooked up with AstroZeneca in 2000 – that’s how I got started.

Continue reading “Harold Bishop, Steelers Tight End, 1998-1999”

OLB Anthony Chickillo – The way the team views his development and potential at LB/DE could impact the team’s need to add OLB depth this draft

ILB’s Jordan Zumwalt and LJ Fort – Can either take the place of Garvin if he leaves in FA as a backup ILB and ST’s ace? If not they’ll need to draft someone.

DL LT Walton – The Steelers are woefully thin at DL. Can Walton become one of the at least two players needed to provide key depth here? he came in raw but with promise. If he can become part of the DL rotation that saves the team a draft pick.

First, can you let readers know what you are doing with yourself now?

Well, I’m training, and at the same time I’m sending out resumes to coaches – I want to be a coaching assistant for someone and learn  the business.

Any coaches and coaching lessons influence you the most?

I was coached by what I think were three Hall of Fame players – Rod Woodson in Oakland, Carnell Lake in Pittsburgh, and Al Harris in Kansas City. I took something from all three of them. They were all players first – and that player-coach mentality was good- it helps them show players what needs to be done on the field. They knew what to do – they’ve been there before.  They were also leaders – not just bosses.

Continue reading “DeMarcus Van Dyke, Steelers Cornerback, 2012-2013”

The roadmap for 2016:

The Steelers have seven potential holes to fill. CB, S, 2 DL, 1 ILB, 1 OT, 1 OLB.  Here is the roadmap for how the Steelers will address their needs:

Continue reading “Steelers 2016 roadmap”

As a NY/Philly guy, why were you interested in the Steelers?

As a young child growing up in foster care, I did not see or hear of any football games on television except for the highlight shows from small documentaries at the time. Television and sports were so different at the time so I was outside playing and just having fun as a young child.

When I was adopted in 1974, I started to see a quite a few pro football games and I was amazed at this sport and how fun it was to see these guys go head to head in this sport A rough sport it is but it was fun to watch. I came across this football team that I knew nothing about and they were from Pittsburgh called the Steelers and wow, they had problems early on until they hired this genius of a coach by the name of Chuck Noll. I was 11 years old when I saw their second Super Bowl. They were down early to the Dallas Cowboys and a key drive I saw Roger Staubach throw an interception to Jack Lambert which gave the Steelers the momentum for the rest of the game and that was the only play that I saw for the whole game. This kid, Lynn Swann, I never saw that dramatic catches that he made throughout the game witch eventually gave him the MVP. What a receiver he was and to believe that he and his mate from the opposite side of the field (John Stallworth) are Hall of Famers to this day is simply amazing.

Continue reading “Allan Ware, Special Intern Assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers”

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?

I received my MBA and have been building my career as a health care executive.  I have moved around the country to work for various organizations and gained a plethora of experiences.  Currently, I work for a large medical center in Buffalo, NY as a Senior Vice President, where I reside.  In addition, I currently officiate college football at the FCS Division I level.  I work in the CAA, Patriot League and the Ivy League as Line Judge.

Continue reading “Jarrod Johnson, Steelers Offensive Lineman, 1991”