More than 2,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff PLUS interviews with Pittsburgh actors, musicians, authors and more
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.
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 what drove you to become a dietitian and what advice would you give those who would like to follow in your footsteps?
I started out as a biopsychology major, got a master’s in Public health with a nutrition emphasis and decided that to stay well and live well, eating plays a critical role.
My first job had co-directors who were marathoners so to keep up, I needed to be active, so then not only does nutrition have a role in staying well, but also playing well, and I believe in the philosophy of SHOP- Safeguard Health Optimize Performance.
Continue reading “Leslie Bonci, Steelers Dietitian”
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 a bit about yourself – how you got into sports statistics and sports management?
I got into sports statistics by accident. I was doing economic policy analysis around tobacco control issues at UCSF when I answered an ad for a part time consultant at a startup company call Protrade Sports (later Citizen Sports that was acquired by Yahoo!). They were a fantasy sports company that was looking to do advanced statistical analysis to create better scoring systems.
While there I met Roland Beech (currently with the Dallas Mavericks) and Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders and learned about the budding field of sports statistics. From there I created the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports and have worked with teams and other startups as well.
Continue reading “Ben Alamar, Sports Statistics Consultant/Creator of ESPN’s New Quarterback Rating”
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”
First, can you tell readers how you are doing these days?
Well, I’m nursing a lot of injuries. I had back surgery and have been declared disabled. I fell down some steps that collapsed on me while I was working and have fought this injury for five years. I finally had to be cut on and had the surgery in the early 90’s.
I’m also dealing with the headaches from the various concussions I’ve received over the years playing football.
Continue reading “Reggie Harrison, Steelers Running Back, 1974-1977”