Welcome to Steelers Takeaways! – Page 24 – More than 1,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff, media and more with those that played in the 50’s through today’s current roster.

Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Lineman Grant Bowman, 2004-2005

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

We had Tuesdays off when I was in Pittsburgh – on those days I worked at Merrill Lynch – learning the family business. After football I went to New York and worked at Lehman Brothers for a few years, then opened up my own firm in Ohio – Blue Ridge Capital here in Ohio. My wife and I met in high school in this area so we decided to move back.

Was the post-football adjustment difficult for you?

It’s funny – until I got to the NFL I thought college football was the coolest thing. The NFL was the furthest thing from my mind – I never thought about playing football professionally. When I was done at Michigan I thought about the NFL then – but I didn’t want to be like those guys who hang round the sport and play in Canada and NFL Europe. I didn’t want that.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Lineman Grant Bowman, 2004-2005”

Exclusive with Steelers Scout Mark Gorscak, 1995-2023

I’m sure you’ve gotten plenty of calls since you announced your retirement?

I call it a graduation from scouting. All the calls and mentions on social media and really humbling articles – it’s made me tear up. It’s been something else – who would have thought that an area scout could have this notoriety! I’ve had some deep calls – getting into people’s headspace on what I meant to them.

But I tell people – it’s never been about me. It’s about the team. When it’s about you it’s about ego.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Scout Mark Gorscak, 1995-2023”

Exclusive with Former Steelers Safety, Bill Hurley, 1980

First, can you let me know what you’ve bene doing with yourself since playing – including your coaching career?

Well, after retiring I moved to Florida – I’m getting used to playing a lot of golf now. I was still coaching at RMU actually when I bought my place – I knew when coaching was over I’d park it here.

Who helped shape the way you coached – your approach?

A lot of people. I had good coaches since high school and I had Tom Coughlin as a coach in college. My head coach from college was Frank Maloney – he just passed away. I always got along with my coaches – especially those that got involved.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Safety, Bill Hurley, 1980”

Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Guy Ruff, 1982

First, tell me a bit about what you’ve been doing since your pro football days?

Basically, after my release there I did a little stint with Trump’s team in New Jersey, then went to the Chicago Blitz and played in Canada some too. Then I just said I was done.

I came to North Carolina and started at a manufacturing job and worked my way through there. I’m now a VP at the Hanes division of Leggett & Platt, managing their bedding group. I’ve been here now for over 32 years now.

We also have a 15-year old son my wife and I adopted – he’s a good kid – likes to wrestle. We’re going to start teaching him how to drive soon, so I’m dreading that!

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Guy Ruff, 1982”

Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Back Greg Lee, 1988

First, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your playing days and how hard was the post-NFL adjustment for you?

I’ve been in management – a lot of leadership and management in the jobs I’ve had. I was a manager then general manager at Ashley Home Stores then at Geico.

I’m not gonna lie. It wasn’t something I just rolled into, life after football. I played football since I was six years old. Some say you graduate and get your degree and you have it all mapped out from there and planned out, but my mindset was football. I didn’t think about tomorrow. There wasn’t a fairy tale ending after football to the nine-to-five life.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Back Greg Lee, 1988”

Exclusive with Steelers Wide Receiver Cody Chrest

First off, what was the process like getting to the Steelers?

It’s started of great. I got my physical in and passed that, did the drug test and bloodwork….checked off all those boxes.

It was all quite a process. I started off after the draft as an undrafted free agent with the Colts. It was a good opportunity and I thought I had a good rookie mini-camp, but they released me. They told me they had concerns about my shoulder. I had surgery on it last April and they thought I could be a risk, medically. I never had a problem with it though so that was a shock to me.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Wide Receiver Cody Chrest”

Exclusive with Michael McQuaid, Owner, Pro Football Ireland

First, can you let me know how the Steelers were awarded Ireland as an International Home Marketing Area (IHMA)?

That’s an interesting question. A couple of years ago teams were given an opportunity to apply for different markets. Countries like Canada, Mexico and Australia were ones many started with. The Steelers started with Mexico. I remember having a conversation with people here when that was approved. I though the Steelers would choose Ireland first but that didn’t happen, which was disappointing.

Once a year NFL teams get the opportunity to choose a country through the IHMA program. Over the last six months it looked like the Steelers were working on this. They had it approved right after the recent NFL Spring meetings. The NFL wants teams to have two or three countries awarded to them. The Dolphins chose Spain and the UK. The Jaguars have UK and Ireland. The Chiefs have a strong connection in Germany and Mexico. So it’s exciting now to see it happen that the Steelers have been awarded Ireland. The fans here are excited.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Michael McQuaid, Owner, Pro Football Ireland”

Exclusive with Former Steelers Outside Linebacker Alonzo Jackson, 2003-2004

First, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your time in the NFL?

Right now I’m the CEO of a non-profit called Young Kings. We find young men and turn them into young kings here in Atlanta in the low-income areas. We do that through football – teaching them the core values of football, and teamwork. We also teach through basketball and track as well. Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Outside Linebacker Alonzo Jackson, 2003-2004”

Exclusive with Steelers Running Back Master Teague

First, can you let me know why you decided to sign with the Steelers?

I think they just saw value in me – when the opportunity presented itself I had to take it. I was with the team for a short time last season – I was happy when they called me back this year.

I think I showed them my skillset when I was there – they liked my game and are giving me another opportunity. It’s a blessing for sure – I’m looking forward to it.

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R.I.P. Jim Brown – Steelers Player Memories of Jim Brown

Wilbert Scott: “ I got my first start when the starting linebacker Mike Henry got hurt. That was against Cleveland and Jim Brown!

How did you do?

I did ok. I had a few of what you call bounce tackles. Where you bounce off of him but you slow him down for other guys to get there!”

Frank Atkinson: “Brady Keys – we played Cleveland and he made the mistake that game of trying to tackle Jim Brown and ended up in the hospital that week”

Frank Varricione: “Brown was the greatest NFL player every to live. He was an unbelievable runner. Powerful. No one person could bring him down, unless maybe they tripped him. He had great speed too. In Cleveland they had a guy who had Olympic speed at the one-hundred yard dash and he kept up with him!”

Brady Keys: “I used to love playing the Browns and Jim Brown. He and I had a grudge like you would not believe. Lots of people were scared to tackle him – and he hurt me once. But he used to call me the Black Missile. We fought a lot then but became big friends after we were done playing football.”

Bob Sherman: “I was playing free safety that day and it was just before halftime – I knew that they loved to screen to him in situations like that. I read it right away and came up quickly and really gave him my best shot – we hit head on, he spun me off in a 180 and rambled on down to the two yard line. Buddy Parker grabbed me at halftime screaming “can’t you tackle anybody”.

Bill Butler: “The only dominant team then was Cleveland – mostly because they had Jim Brown.”

Charley Scales: “I went to Cleveland playing with Jim Brown and those guys. I played with John Henry, Stautner and Layne. The Cleveland Plains Dealer wrote an article saying I looked like Floyd Patterson and hit like him too, because of my blocking. Jim Brown never liked to block anybody”