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Jim O’Brien: Merril Hoge still finds a way to outwork everyone else:

By Jim O’Brien, Columnnist, Pittsburgh Business Times

Merrill Hoge is the most honest individual to be found on the pro football front, and his integrity serves him well.  “I’m not that smart,” he says with a disarming lop-sided grin.  “I was always a ‘C’ student.”

         But no one studies harder than Hoge on his favorite subject – NFL football – and it’s one of the reasons he has been a popular and respected football analyst for ESPN television since 1996.  Though he resides in Fort Thomas, Ky., he pops up on Pittsburgh radio stations over the telephone on a frequent basis.

         His dedication to detail and being properly prepared also helped him survive seven seasons in the pro ranks, six seasons (1987-1993) with the Pittsburgh Steelers and one more (1994) with the Chicago Bears.

         He suffered seven or eight concussions along the way – “I’m the NFL’s poster boy for concussions,” he boasts – and had to retire because of a brain injury.  In February of 2003, he was diagnosed with stage II Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and his positive attitude helped him get through that scary challenge.  He compared notes with Penguins’ leader Mario Lemieux, who’d overcome a similar cancer challenge.

         To hear Hoge speak, he’s been a lucky guy in so many ways.  Whereas Mike Ditka and Terry Bradshaw, two other NFL analysts with Pittsburgh ties, can wing it on TV with their over-the-top personalities, Hoge has to spend hours and hours studying game film.

         He studies more film than most movie critics, often with his pal Ron Jaworksi, a former pro quarterback out of YoungstownState, to gain an edge on the competition. 

         Hoge didn’t have the superstar credentials of a Ditka or Bradshaw, so he believes he has to offer insights and analysis beyond what they bring to the show.  From the start, Hoge didn’t have great size or speed, and he was a 10^th round draft choice from IdahoState in 1987 so he had to make a great impression in a hurry with Chuck Noll.

         Hoge credits Noll for instilling the proper work ethic and need for preparation to succeed.

         Hoge preached “finding a way” to overcome challenges and obstacles to his daughter Kori, now 19, and son Beau, now 15.  So when he came home ten years ago from a visit to Dr. Jim Bradley, who happens to be one of the Steelers’ team physicians, and explained that he had cancer and warned them that he’d soon be bald from chemotherapy treatments, Kori, then just nine-years-old, came and sat in his lap and hugged him with these words:

         “Dad, you need to find a way.”

         Hoge has authored a best-selling memoir titled “Find A Way.”  He is an in-demand motivational speaker.  He appeared on the last Saturday in September in a program for cancer survivors in Warrendale that was sponsored by Western Pennsylvania Allegheny Health System.  His goal at this edition of “The Journey of Hope” program was to inspire the audience to apply his experiences in their lives.

         He was a big hit with over 400 in attendance in the main ballroom of the Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North.  He pokes fun at himself, and talks about how he overcame a series of challenges in his life to succeed.

         As a child in Pocatello, Idaho he pinned his hopes and dreams on a half-wall of cork board in his bedroom.  His favorite team was the Pittsburgh Steelers and his favorite player was Walter Payton, and he came to play for the Steelers and follow Payton as a running back for the Bears.

         He learned from reading books in the library that Payton’s secret was to outwork everyone else, every day of the week, at every practice.  Noll told Hoge early on that he didn’t draft him to be a common ballplayer.

         “You didn’t want to disappoint Coach Noll,” said Hoge.

         At 47, Hoge looks terrific.  His ramrod posture is a mix between a military cadet and The Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz.”  He wears skin-tight suits and favors a colorful array of wide-knotted ties and stiff high collars.  In that respect, he’s still the innocent and naïve native of Pocatello, Idaho.

         When he was with the Steelers, he served the team well and enthusiastically as an ambassador at all sorts of events.  Pat Hanlon, then a publicist with the Steelers and now the vice-president of communications for the New York Giants, still regards Hoge as one of his all-time favorite players.

         “He never let me down,’ said Hanlon, who is a lot like Hoge in his whimsical approach to life.  “When I needed someone to represent the Steelers, he was always willing.  Look what it’s led to for him.”

         And like Rocky Bleier, another former Steelers’ running back who is a successful motivational speaker, Hoge was a highly productive back for the Black & Gold.  He earned his keep.    

 Jim O’Brien is teaching a class on “Pittsburgh’s Rich Sports History” in the Osher Institute Program at the University of Pittsburgh.  His website is www.jimobriensportsauthor.com

 Jim O’Brien: Recalling most famous fumble in Monday Night Football

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

 The Kansas City Chiefs coming here for a Monday Night Football contest with the Pittsburgh Steelers sparked a memory of the most famous fumble in that storied series.

         That occurred when Dave Smith of the Steelers decided to showboat before crossing the goal line on what would have been a 50-yard scoring pass by Terry Bradshaw and held the ball high overhead triumphantly. 

         Then Smith, to his dismay, lost control of the ball and it hit the ground and skidded through the end zone for a touchback.

         I was covering that game for The New York Post.  I recall talking to Joe Gordon, the Steelers’ publicist, in the press box, as well as members of the Pittsburgh media.  That game was played on October 18, 1971.  The Steelers lost to the Chiefs, 38-16.

         Monday Night Football was a bigger deal in those days, and the TV ratings were unreal.  Anyone who cared about football was watching.  Smith’s name would live in infamy in football annals.

         Smith may have been thinking about spiking the football, but he never got the chance.  His premature celebration caused him to simply lose his grasp on the football.  He fumbled the ball into the first paragraph of his obituary some day.

         The Steelers should get video of that event and show it on a daily basis to their three young wide receivers – Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Mike Wallace – in the hope it might convince them to cut back on their own showboating antics.

         It’s unlikely any of these young men know about Dave Smith, or any of the early Steelers, but they should.  Smith was good enough to lead the Steelers in receiving in one of his three seasons with the team.  He had 47 receptions in 1971, the same season in which he fumbled the ball before going into the end zone in Kansas City.   Ironically enough, he later played for the Chiefs, as well as the Houston Oilers in his four NFL seasons.  The Steelers traded him to the Oilers midway through the 1972 season.

         Smith had played football and basketball at Indiana University of Pennsylvania following a short stay at WaynesburgCollege.

         Coach Mike Tomlin has said more than once that he was going to have a talk with his three gifted receivers and get them to stop doing their victory dances and more in the end zone after they score touchdowns, or even elsewhere on the field whenever they make a catch, but I have not been convinced that Tomlin’s message is getting through to them.

         I am among the fans who hate to see players strutting about and thumping their chests whenever they do the slightest thing on the football field.  It’s become a constant “look at me” exhibition.

         Chuck Noll could not coach today because he couldn’t put up with such shenanigans and the attitude of most athletes.  I recall two things Noll often said:

         “You only get what you demand.”

         And to his players in regard to how they should conduct themselves when they accomplish something on the field:

         “Act like you’ve been there before.”

         That game in Kansas City in which Smith fumbled the ball bring backs other memories as well.

         The Municipal Stadium in Kansas City was familiar to me.  I had spent the year of 1965 in Kansas City at the U.S. Army Home Town Center.  That’s where all the stories are created that you see in local newspapers about the accomplishments and achievements of soldiers.  I was an editor at the U.S. Army Home Town News Center, located at 601 Hardesty Avenue.

         That was only a few blocks from Municipal Stadium.  My late friend and mentor Beano Cook knew the public relations man of the Chiefs, Roger Valdiserri, who had previously been the sports information director at Notre Dame.  He was from Belle Vernon.

         So I moonlighted as a spotter in the press box at Chiefs’ home games, and helped out in whatever way I could in the press box at the same stadium for Charles O. Finley’s Kansas City A’s.

         We didn’t get much money to eat in the U.S. Army and we didn’t have a dining hall in our building.  So being able to eat in the press box was a real perk. 

         I remember spotting for Charlie Jones and Paul Christman on telecasts of the Chiefs’ games.

         The Chiefs had a better football team then than they do now.  They were one of the power teams in the old American Football League.

         I recall coming home to Pittsburgh and visiting Art Rooney Sr. at the Steelers’ offices at the Roosevelt Hotel and telling him what a terrific team they had in Kansas City.

         KDKA-TV anchorman Bill Burns was in The Chief’s office one of those days and he challenged by evaluation of the Kansas City club.  “Their quarterback is Lenny Dawson and we let him go,” said Burns.

         “That proves nothing,” I said.  “The Steelers let Johnny Unitas go, and look how great he turned out to be.”

         For the record, Dawson and Unitas are both in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

         Bobby Bell was on that Chiefs’ football team and he’s as good as any linebacker who ever played the game.  He’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and so is Chiefs’ defensive lineman Buck Buchanan.

         In 1969, I would be covering the Miami Dolphins for The Miami News, and I covered Super Bowl IV in New Orleans when those same Kansas City Chiefs would defeat the Minnesota Vikings at Tulane Stadium.

         The Chiefs got to the Super Bowl before the Steelers did.  The Steelers beat the Vikings in the Super Bowl that followed the 1974 season.

         I moved to New York after I covered that Super Bowl game in New Orleans involving the Vikings and Chiefs.  Monday Night Football came into being in 1970 and I was assigned to cover the beat.

         What a great assignment that turned out to be.  Each week you were writing about two different teams, and you only had to deal with writing about the star players, the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and a star defensive player or two.

         You never had to write about guards and tackles and nickel and dime defensive backs.  You had a chance to visit a new city each week.  I was 28 at the time and felt on top of the sportswriting world.

         The first game in the Monday Night Football series was played in Cleveland.  A record crowd of 85,703 showed up at Municipal Stadium to see the Browns take on Joe Namath and the New York Jets, the most popular AFL team in their NFL debut.

         Namath was outstanding and the Jets outgained the Browns 455 yards to 221 yards, yet the Browns won because the Jets had four turnovers and a team record of 161 penalty yards.

         I recall covering a game in Minnesota that season and getting a phone call from my boss, Ike Gellis, the next day.

         “What was it doing when you arrived in Minneapolis?” asked Gellis.

         “It was raining,” I reported.

         “Why didn’t you call and tell us that?” said Gellis.  “A lot of our readers want to know that information.”

         I knew that there was no way that bit of information would have made it into the late edition on Monday because the deadline had passed.  The reader who wanted to know it was raining was none other than Ike Gellis, who liked to gamble now and then, like every day of the week, on one sports event or another.

         NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle was the one who pushed for Monday Night Football.

         Rozelle was a big believer that television was going to help promote and sell the National Football League.

         Many sports owners in those days were fearful that if they had too many games on television it would cut into game attendance at their stadiums and ballfields.

         Rozelle thought the time was right and he found the perfect partner in ABC Sports and a young creative producer named Roone Arledge.  Arledge had created “Wide World of Sports,” a new way to cover every conceivable sport.

         ABC Sports had a talented director in Chet Forte, a 5-foot-9 genius who had been an All-American basketball player at ColumbiaUniversity.  Forte doubled the number of TV cameras to cover a game, and got all kinds of views of the action that helped popularize the game.

         Monday Night Football became an “event,” something everyone had to watch, and it gained a great following among women fans as well as men. 

         That first Monday Night Football Game in Cleveland on September 21, 1970 drew 35 per cent of a possible national audience.  It became a cultural event.   No one wanted to have a show on TV opposite Monday Night Football.  It was a death knell.

         Keith Jackson, Don Meredith and Howard Cosell were in the telecast booth in the first year on Monday Night Football, and Jackson gave way to Frank Gifford for the second year.  The so-straight Gifford was the perfect buffer for the over-the-top offerings by Cosell and Meredith.

         I had a chance to spend time with this threesome while covering Monday Night Football and it made the beat even better. 

There were a few occasions when Cosell invited me to his apartment in Manhattan.

         Many of the sports writers in New York did not care for Cosell, so he was happy to have a new man in town that didn’t have any animosity toward him.  Cosell was an interesting guy, bright as can be.  He could scan a news story and go on the air without notes and deliver an eloquent report without missing a beat.

         At the end, however, he became a bitter man and turned on everyone in the business.  He spared no one his caustic tongue.  That was unfortunate, for everyone.

         John Madden and Al Michaels would later gain fame for their work on Monday Night Football.

                 Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien has a new book out called “Immaculate Reflections” that is available in area bookstores.  His website is www.jimobriensportsauthor.com

NHS Allegheny Valley School’s (AVS’) Chief Development Officer, Dorothy Hunter Gordon, on the Terrible Towel:

Since 1996, AVS has received the royalties from The Terrible Towel®.  The trademark is held by AVS Foundation for the benefit of Allegheny Valley School.  AVS Foundation is a private foundation.

First, can you tell readers about the AVS Foundation NHS Allegheny Valley School and what your role is when it comes to The Terrible Towel?

NHS Allegheny Valley School (AVS) is a private, non-profit organization established in 1960 to care for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).  AVS was founded to care for ten children with intellectual disabilities for whom a closing orphanage had been unable to find adoptive families.

For more than fifty years, AVS has been providing compassionate care for the most vulnerable of our citizens – those with I/DD. Today, AVS is a multi-faceted organization with programs and facilities serving more than 900 children and adults.

Continue reading “Dorothy Hunter Gordon, Chief Development Officer at NHS Allegheny Valley School, on the History of the Terrible Towel”

Tim Christine, Director of Security, NFLPA:

First, can you let readers know how you took on this position – how did you get involved in managing the security programs for the NFLPA?

I started my professional career in law enforcement as a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service and spent 21 years with the Secret Service where I managed both investigative and protective assignments. My last assignment was in Syracuse, NY, as the Agent in Charge.

In 2003, I retired from the Secret Service to pursue a new position in the private sector as the first director of security at NASCAR in Daytona Beach, Fla. with oversight of the top three national touring series: Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the Truck Series.  NASCAR was experiencing unprecedented growth in terms of spectator attendance at events and in television popularity. When I was brought on board, NASCAR had 32 tracks with 32 different security plans.  With the events of 9/11 fresh in the thoughts of the country, I was challenged with assessing, developing and implementing security plans and procedures enterprise-wide, for all sanctioned race tracks and facilities.

The task led me to work closely with the NFL, MLB, NBA, PGA and the NHL before establishing and introducing new standards to event security management to NASCAR.  I remained at NASCAR for four years before taking positions in the NFL, first as the director of security for the Washington Redskins and ultimately with the NFL Players Association. I have been with the NFLPA for the past four years.

What has surprised you most since taking on this role?

I was most surprised with the dedication of the NFLPA staff and the efforts of the player representatives.   Just like at NASCAR, my position did not previously exist.  I was very impressed with the vision of Gene Upshaw who built the NFLPA to be the finest professional sports labor association anywhere.

Just two weeks into my time with the NFLPA, Gene Upshaw unexpectedly passed away. At the time, Gene and the entire staff were entering what everyone expected to be the toughest period of the organization’s history, as the union prepared to negotiate a completely new CBA with NFL after management opted out of the existing CBA two years early. Upshaw led the players association for more than 25 years, and his passing could have been devastating to the success of our leadership during this crucial time.

However, then-NFLPA President Kevin Mawae, the player representatives and NFLPA staff pushed through their grief and mourning of Gene Upshaw, staying united and dedicated to their work.  Our players and staff first rallied together to first elect a new leader, and then without a moment’s rest, we were off to the races as the labor battle was underway. The unselfish efforts of the players and everyone at the NFLPA during that time left a mark on my soul which I will never soon forget.

What new programs are you and the NFLPA looking to implement in 2012-2013 and what inspired these new ideas?

The two most important and influential persons in a player’s career are his Contract  Advisors (Agents) and his Financial Advisors, and this year, the NFLPA strengthened and enhanced background investigations for both.

I collaborated with our player services, legal, salary cap/agent administration and financial advisors departments to take a more aggressive, proactive position. Proposals were submitted to leading national private investigative service providers. The end result was that the NFLPA selected a new and innovative security firm — Hillard Heintze, headquartered in Chicago, founded in 2004 by Terry Hilliard, former Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department and Arnette Heintze former Senior Executive with the U. S. Secret Service  — to administer background investigations for both the Contract Advisors and Financial Advisors programs.

I feel we made significant advancements to identify and mitigate potential threats to our members, as Hillard Heintze is one of the fastest growing companies and a recognized leader in administering investigative services at the national level. The more information we collect and review, the better our players are protected.

What have been the most – and least – effective programs so far, and why?

This is a very tough question to answer. Our most successful program and least successful program may be one in the same.  In 2010, the NFLPA introduced a program known as the Player Transportation Link. PTL is administered by Corporate Security Solutions, a national security firm based in Orlando, Fla. and is designed to deter our members from driving while impaired.  PTL offers our members – both active and former players – two options: pre-arranged transportation or emergency service. The call center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the service is available in all 50 U.S. states and Canada.

When a player places an emergency call to PTL, a security supervisor at CSSI will immediately dispatch a town car or limousine to pick up the player and transport him to a safe destination. We have seen significant growth in use by our members, and this month alone (as of July 26), 68 players have used the PTL, the most ever.

On average, 60% pre-arrange transportation and 40% fall into the emergency service category. There is no doubt the program is working and players have options.    However, there have been a far too may recent instances of player DUIs. Player health and safety, and his impact on his community – are paramount issues to the NFLPA.  We have made some significant strides, but we will always look for ways to better assist our members in making informed decisions.

What are the biggest mistakes you see athletes make in terms of personal security and protection, and how do you help prevent such occurrences? 

Our members are some of the most successful athletes in all of professional sports. NFL players are bigger, faster and stronger than ever. However, as a consequence, their playing careers actually trend shorter than their peers in other professional sports. The average playing career of an NFL player is only 3.4 years.

Players who successfully make the transition from the locker room to the boardroom are fully engaged in the process we term the ‘business of football.” While most see football as only a game, it is indeed a business for our members.

Possessing a college degree is the best form of insurance an professional athlete can have for himself and for his family. It opens the door to much greater opportunities when his playing career has ended.  During his NFL career, a player should to be fully engaged in the day-to-day decisions regarding his finances, especially when it comes to savings and investments. A player who delegates less of these responsibilities and stays informed generally stands the best chance to prosper off of the field.

Saying “NO” to family, friends and the constant barrage of pitchmen presenting business opportunities can be very difficult for a young man who just received his first NFL paycheck. However, these checks come for, on average, only 3.4 years and then he finds himself “retired” at the age of 25. Actively monitoring his assets, making low-risk and long-term investments and protecting his brand by making smart decisions on and off-the-field are an athlete’s best forms of personal and financial security.

How do you work with the teams to help implement and maintain security measures for players?

The NFLPA, NFL and teams work together in a myriad of areas to protect players. When it comes to player protection and the personal safety, there are no barriers between the players’ union, the league and its teams.  The NFL’s security initiatives are primarily focused on protecting current players, and the league and clubs have security personnel who interact directly with our players.

I work closely with the NFL’s security team to thoroughly investigate any form of fraud or criminal acts directed against our members.   However, there are absolutely some notable differences. While the NFL does not generally offer or provide security services to retired players, our focus at the NFLPA is providing life-long services to our members, both active and former players.

There is also the element of privacy. The NFL and its teams are our players’ employers, and there are times when a player requires confidential security services.  We provide services to our members so that they can conduct confidential background checks on all persons who come in contact with their families in addition to performing background investigations on prospective business associates.

With so much discussion on how players handle their post-NFL careers and lives and the difficulties they have in doing so at times, how do you work with players so they have a healthy mindset entering their post-NFL years, and how do you go about doing so?

Executive Director DeMaurice Smith restructured our organization to be completely player-centric, meaning the entire NFLPA staff is constantly educating our members on life after football.

Before a player’s 29th birthday, he most likely will have already made the transition to being a former player.   The best way we can collectively protect our members is through education. Just last week, a prominent NFL agent hosted a two-day retreat for nearly 30 players he represents, and part of his agenda was a stop to the NFLPA. All of our departments – including security – had the opportunity to present to this group to remind them of the services we provide, during a player’s career, his transition, and his post-career life.

For active players, our player advocates, player representatives and executive committee members serve as our liaisons in the locker room and are able to assist struggling teammates by connecting them with the right resources. Annually, our former players department conducts an exit symposium, collecting data from and offering assistance to those who are in transition and those who have been out of the game for years.

In the last year, we have set up a 24/7 hotline for our members needing emergency assistance for a variety of issues, including depression, and have the ability to get a former player in need admitted to an intervention program, anywhere in the country. We have a partnership with the University of Michigan Depression Center to provide former players with a comprehensive mood and behavioral evaluation resulting in a personalized treatment plan. The need-based program includes follow ups for a year.

The NFLPA also has a relationship with The Center for the Study of Retired Athletes at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and concerned players can have their brain and/or body evaluated. We are working on cementing additional relationships with nationally prominent institutions to better assist those who are in need of help.

This has been a rough week for off-field issues. How frustrating is it for you to establish all of these programs and see players still make off-field mistakes as they do?

Yes, there have been too many negative stories in the media involving players. However, there is also an element of perception that our players are being arrested at a higher rate than the general public, which is not factual. Last year, a Minneapolis television station conducted a survey of all professional athletes who were arrested since 2000. It found that 1-in-48 NFL players were arrested for a violation more serious than a traffic offense. A comparison of the general public revealed an arrest rate of 1-in-23, which is nearly double the NFL figure.

Additionally, while members of the media were quick to publicize player DUIs this offseason, they seemed to be less eager to promote the good works our members did. The NFLPA communications department recently distributed a press release highlighting community initiatives by hundreds of active and former players this summer. From military visits to free football clinics to charitable donations, the vast majority of our players are constantly looking for ways to improve their cities in positive ways. I am not trying to downplay the issue, and I am aware our members are human and subject to the same influences as our society in general.

However, with the average playing career being so short there is no time for do-overs and one mistake can tarnish an otherwise stellar career and reputation. We will continue to inform and educate our players about making decisions that will benefit them in both the short term and the long term.

What are your thoughts on the NFL’s/Roger Goodell’s approach to fines and suspensions for off-field behavior? Do you agree with the direction the NFL has taken? Why/why not?

While I am the Director of Security, I am neither the President nor the Executive Director of the NFLPA. The leadership of the NFLPA – general counsel, players representatives, executive committee, president and executive director – are actively engaged with the issues of player conduct and Commissioner discipline. This team is informed and I am confident it will continue to address any and all points of disagreement in this area.

Any last thoughts for readers?

We all look forward to the start of the 2012 season with great anticipation for the promise it holds. I will continue to strive to provide our members with the best resources, enabling them to make informed decisions when it comes to personal security. Ultimately, I believe this will allow our player to do what they do best – play the game we all love to watch!

Willie Daniel (1-11-1937)

Macon High School, Macon MS-1955, Football, Track, Baseball; Mississippi State University  1955-1959, Football and Track; Pittsburgh Steelers 1961-1966 Defensive Back; Los Angeles Rams 1967-1969 Defensive Back

Married, three children, four grandchildren

From Ruth Daniel:

Willie wasn’t drafted out of college and was hired as an assistant football and head track coach in Cleveland, MS.  During that year, he called the Mississippi State football office and asked that they show some of his game films to any NFL scout who was interested.

Pappy Lewis of the Steelers then offered Willie a plane ticket to the Steeler training camp in 1961.  He went to training camp and made the Steeler team.  He got quite a bit of publicity during his rookie year from an incident involving the father of one his high school players.

Continue reading “Ruth Daniel on Husband/Former Steeler Defensive Back Willie Daniel, 1961-1966”