Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

First, can you let us know what the offseason has been like for you?

The offseson has been going well. Honestly I’ve been focusing on staying in a rhythm and staying consistent. That’s the biggest thing for me. There’s always a lot of outside stuff going on – I just wanted to stay locked in on the main thing – football. You have a lot of freedom in the offseason with open schedules.

So for me, I just spent time with my family, worked and stayed humble. This is a big season for me – and for the Steelers. I want to be a part of it.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Linebacker Chapelle Russell”

First, can you let us know what you’ve been up to since your playing days?

Right now I’m a dialysis patient. After football I went into the car business – then that was about it. I got married and had two kids. I lost one son – he was shot and killed. My other son lives near me in Kansas City.

How did you handle that – and the post-NFL adjustment – how did you manage all of that?

It was a struggle for a while. And you have all that fame and glory then it’s just gone away. I just tried to stay busy though and pick up other things to do. I even went into coaching my boys in basketball.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Safety Donald Herron, 1986”

First, can you let me know how you got started as a photographer?

Well, my family has always been involved in photography. My grandfather got started in Italy – he had an interest in photography – he was a cabinetmaker too. My dad was too – and when I got married we had a little boy I was so proud of – so I loved taking pictures of him.

I mostly loved taking black and white pictures – I loved the dark room work – developing pictures.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Photographer Bill Amatucci, 1975-2014”

First off, can you let us know what you’re offseason’s been like so far?

Right now I’m just working on staying in shape – whetting stronger and faster and working on my explosiveness.

The only real time off I took was to go to Mardis Gras with some friends. Nothing crazy!

Looking back, did you have any mentors when you first got into the league with the Jets – who and how so?

Folo Fatukasi and John Franklin-Meyers – they both helped me to learn the ropes as a rookie. I’m using the same program now that they showed me then! How to take care of my body and that it’s not always about heavy lifting. You also have to work on movement – to be more mobile.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Defensive Lineman Jonathan Marshall”

So first off, what have you been up to since you stopped playing football?

I played my last game with the Arena League L.A. Avengers then retired in 2001. I’m still out here in L.A. now – I settled down here with my family and started coaching my son who’s now an offensive lineman with the University of Georgia. He was six-years old when I start coaching him. I’ve coached him for 13 years and now he’s in the University of Georgia’s hands – so that’s a big adjustment for me.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Offensive Lineman Earnest Greene, 1995”

First, let me know what you’ve been doing since your time playing pro football?

Well, I’ve worked for 35 years in the financial services industry. I started with Smith Barney and it’s now Morgan Stanley – but I’ve been sitting in the same seat. I’m fortunate – life has bene good to me.

Was the post-football adjustment difficult?

It’s funny – when you first reached out, I thought – who wants to talk to me about playing 50 years ago! I started thinking back to myself – I didn’t accomplish all that I hoped in the NFL. I was converted to a strong safety my rookie year then came back and ended up playing outside linebacker for the Eagles before they cut me too. But looking back, I think maybe God did me a favor. I look at some of those guys now who played a long time, and I see all of their medical issues from playing the game.

It was tough at first – you have goals you set out and then you have to reset them. That takes a while to find out what you want to do next and now you’re behind other people in their careers. But, it ended well for me. It’s been good.

Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Safety John Sodaski, 1971”

First off, exited that the free agency stuff is over with?

I am excited to be done with free agency! It’s similar to being recruited in college, but you’re at the highest point in your career now. I just want to focus now on playing football – I’m excited to get there for OTAs!

Why sign with the Steelers?

It’s a city and franchise with a lot of history. It’s a well-rounded organization from top to bottom – in and outside of football. When I visited there, it felt like I was back at LSU. They care about football deeply. I’m not saying they didn’t in other places I’ve been, but you cn tell throughout the facility that they breathe, eat and sleep football.

When I was meeting with Coach Tomlin – mid-meeting he stepped out and started barking at some of the guys who were working out at the facility. “I love that!” he said. I just wanted to put on cleats then and work out with them!

So for me it’s not “Why did I sign with the Steelers?” It’s more “Why wouldn’t I sign with the Steelers?”

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Defensive Lineman Breiden Fohoko”

First, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your playing days?

After I was waived by Pittsburgh,  I did a short stint in Canada, playing for the B.C. Lions. But when I got there I didn’t like the game – I only stuck around for four weeks then I told them it wasn’t for me.

What didn’t you like?

It just wasn’t the same game. Three downs, the field, all the passing. It was a totally different game. I just wasn’t used to it. So I told them I appreciated them bringing me in but it wasn’t going to work out.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Frank Wilson Jr., 1982”

First, can you let us know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL, and how hard that post-NFL adjustment was for you?

Well I’m not doing too much. Just working. That’s it. I sell cases – the kind you see on the sidelines at football games. I’m close to 60 now, so I’m just working that job and holding down the fort!

I went straight to my hometown in Texas after the NFL. So the change wasn’t that big for me. I have lots of alumni at Texas A&M where I went to school that pulled strings for me. I got offered the job through them and that was it. I worked there for 19 years.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Earnest Jackson, 1986-1988”

First off, what have you been up to since you recently retired from football?

The biggest thing is being a father – that’s first and foremost thing. It’s challenging!

I’ve been trying to figure out my next move career-wise. I want to get into the media stuff more – I went to London late last year to work for Sky Sports. I’m just looking to see what fit I can find in the media space – to get an idea of what I can do.

It also hit me though in January – that maybe I should start focusing more on helping people. I got an idea to do just that and started a non-profit recently – The Avery Williamson Reach Foundation. We’re building an event center in my hometown of Milan, Tennessee and we’ll use that for all kinds of events. Weddings, games, cornhole tournaments …We’ll have over 200 TVs in there – it’ll be pretty sick. A mini-golf course…We’ll be able to help children using the event center – we’ll offer courses, work with 4H and the Boys and Girls Clubs and more to offer after school programs to keep children out of trouble and off the streets.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Avery Williamson, 2020”