Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

First, can you tell readers what you are doing with yourself these days?

I have lived in the Greater Seattle area for the past seven years. I help people obtain their real estate goals as a Realtor for Windermere Real Estate. I am a blessed husband with three amazing children.

I have also cofounded a nonprofit organization called The Madhouse Project that raises funds for the world renowned Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

www.johnfiala.com

www.themadhouseproject.org

Continue reading “John Fiala, Steelers Linebacker, 1998-2002”

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

I’m retired now. I coached Division II and Division IA football for a while. I helped a lot of kids get to school, and get through school.

How did you do that?

I had to convince the kids and coaches that they are there for their education and are paying for it in sweat, toil and injuries.  They all have designs for the NFL but few get there. You have to convince the coaches and the kids that if they don’t perform in class they won’t get on the field.

Good students make good athletes. If you don’t perform in school why should I give you the reps?

Continue reading “Lee Calland, Steelers Cornerback, 1969-1972”

First, can you let readers know what you are doing these days?

My wife, daughter and I are all in real estate together for the East side of Columbus, Ohio. My wife has had the business for over thirty years. I joined about ten years ago. I told her as long as she keeps working and I can keep golfing, we’re in great shape!

Tell us about being drafted out of  Tennessee-Chattanooga College in 1963?

I was drafted by Pittsburgh and Boston of the AFL. It was an easy choice to go to Pittsburgh. I grew up sixty miles from Pittsburgh. My family and relatives lived in McKeesport. And training camp was at West Liberty State College, which was only ten minutes from home.

There was also the saying, that if you don’t make it in the NFL, you can always go down to the AFL…

Continue reading “Jim Bradshaw, Steelers Safety, 1963-1967”

First, can you tell readers what you are doing with yourself and how you got involved in coaching?

I have been doing a lot of different things but the two main things would be spending some great time with my family and coaching high school football.  I got involved in coaching because I felt you could have a tremendous impact on young mens lives not only in teaching them the fundamentals of football but also the encouragement you could have with them on everyday life obstacles.

I believe that coaching goes way beyond the X’s and O’s football and that it  impacts the fundamentals of ones character and I want to be part of that in a positive way.  Coaches have had a tremendous impact on my life so I want to return that to someone else.

Continue reading “Travis Kirschke, Steelers Defensive Lineman, 2004-2009”

First, can you tell readers what you are doing with yourself these days?

I have been working as a police officer for the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Dept. in Wisconsin for the last 2 years.

How is your health?  You had suffered a severe neck injury playing in Pittsburgh?

For the most part my health is o.k. I have pain in my neck that I experience everyday, and the same is true with my left shoulder. It will be something that I will have to live with.

Continue reading “Clint Kriewaldt, Steelers Linebacker, 2003-2007”

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

I’m doing a combination of headhunting for a new corporation coming to America that has a number of retail stores they are building.

I’m also farming – raising Angus beef cattle.

Those are pretty diverse jobs – how did you get involved in these?

In Pittsburgh I lived in Greencastle and had a two-acre farm there. I moved to Annapolis after Pittsburgh and got involved with some guys there and stayed in Annapolis for four years. Afterwards, I moved back to Gates City, Virginia where I am now – in the Southwestern part of Virginia.

Continue reading “Tom Beasley, Steelers Defensive Lineman, 1978-1983”

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

I sell consulting services for financial and managed services providers. We do compliance work on financial institutions related to safeguarding data, PCI compliance, hacking into networks to test them. We then implement policy procedures for them and bring in engineers to evaluate business impact. I have two partners who focus on compliance and regulatory issues – I focus mostly on sales.

Continue reading “Rick Woods, Steelers Safety, 1982-1986”