Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

First, can you let us know what you’re doing now since your time in the NFL?

Starting this year I’ve been coaching at my old high school. I always wanted to be a coach and the head coach here asked me to come in and coach their quarterbacks. So I’m getting my feet wet now and getting started as a coach.

Who were some of your coaching mentors and what lessons did you pick up from them that influenced the way you coached?

I just picked up different things over my career that I was taught. I just coach now the way I play it. I teach my thought process – that’s the best way I know how to teach it.

Each day – especially as a quarterback – you need to make sure guys know that the game is more mental than physical. As a quarterback you have to know what all 22 positions are doing. You need to be one step ahead of the defense and on the same page as your teammates.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Justin Thomas, 2017-2018”

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

Since I left the NFL I played for the AAF and played well, then I went to the XFL and played even better. I still wanted to get back to the NFL but there were a lot of politics involved I guess.

I also started my own apparel brand – Hero Apparel. It’s a national brand now and getting noticed more.

Other than that, I’ve been coaching kids – I’ve had an interest in coaching and have gotten interest from high school and college teams. I think I’ll end up going that route – I’ve coached some seven-on-seven teams in the Summer and I’m still training and staying in shape just in case something does happen with an NFL team.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Steven Johnson, 2016-2017”

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

Mostly I’ve been in real estate now. I coached some high school too before I transitioned to real estate. My high school coach was still there and had me come in to coach, which I loved. I was around the game my whole life and loved being around the game as a coach and wanted to give back to the kids in my community.

How hard was the post-NFL transition for you?

I didn’t want to go the traditional route after football. After coaching I decided I wanted to do something outside of athletics.  It was tough to be around football – I played since I was eight years old and adjusting to a whole new life was really tough, I won’t lie. After a while I didn’t even want to think about football. It took a while to get accustomed to life after football.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Lineman Eli Joseph, 2011”

First off, why did you launch the Lend a Hand program – how did it start and how does it operate?

I actually started while I was still the GM of the Steelers. Before the pandemic hit actually, I wanted to help players who were having issues after football. I got together some of the local guys in August of 2019. 10-to-12 of us met and threw around some ideas of what to do for players – what programs and things we could do to help alums.

But then the scouting season started, and after that the pandemic hit, so we didn’t get together again over that time. When I retired I didn’t want to work in football part-time – I knew it wasn’t something you could do part-time. So I approached Art Rooney and asked if we could pick up the program and he said it would be a great idea.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert, 2000-2022”

First, can you let me know what you’re up to now?

Currently, I’m the Marketng and Communications Director here at the Greensburg YMCA – I’ve been here since last July. After I left the Steelers I worked in sales at Mohawk Industries selling flooring. But I always knew I wanted to get back into PR. I’ve been consulting as well since 2005 with ISM USA – they do signature sports events in Pittsburgh – the Three Rivers Regatta, the Bass Challenge… Our CEO moved to Florida and he worked with the Pirates when they got ingrained in Bradenton to build that major riverwalk they have there on the Manatee River. They looked for programming around that so we did the regatta there now for eight years as well.

But now I’m at the YMCA full-time. It’s close to home, and while it doesn’t pay like working for the Steelers did, I get the chance to give back to my community and do some charity work, which is important to me.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Ron Wahl, Steelers Communications Coordinator, 1998-2005”

First, can you tell me a bit about your post-NFL coaching career and how you got started?

When I was out of the Steelers I was offered an assistant coaching job at Babylon High School in New York. When the head coach retired I took his job and coached 17 years there. Then I retired so I could coach my son who’s now at Northwestern.

Any insight you were able to offer your son as a former NFL player?

Oh he’s much smarter than I ever was! The game has changed so much since I played. I was just fortunate to play with some great guys like Webster, Ilkin, Rasmussen, Long…they were great guys. They – and Noll – there’s just not enough nice things I can say about those guys.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Offensive Lineman Hans Wiederkehr, 1985-1986”

First, can you let me know what you’ve been up to lately?

Well, I retired in 2017. We built our home here in Florida in 2017. I did some work with Pro Football Focus and helped them early on with their player evaluations – working on the film evaluation to see if I see things the same way they did.

We lost our home a few years ago to a forest fire – we lost everything from our 42 years of marriage – game balls, pictures, mementos…. But we rebuilt the house and moved back in 2021. Now we’re enjoying being retired. We go to the beach often, I do some fundraisers, and spend time with my wife and going to the beach. My kids come down with our grandkids and we enjoy that time too.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receivers Coach Bob Bratkowski, 1999-2000”

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

I own my own roofing company here in Orlando and also work with ABC Supply Company – doing construction and supply. I also coach a few youth sports football teams and work with Football University – I coach the All-Star team here in Naples.

Find yourself falling back on the lessons from coaches you had as a player?

Definitely. Mike T., obviously. What he taught is a big part of what I do now. It’s crazy, I’m working with 10 year-olds now – that’s younger than I’m used to and it’s challenging but fun. They are less receptive to things at that age, but I can walk by and give them a good Mike T. saying and that stays with them.  Mike T. used to walk by us when we were stretching and warming up and joke around with us, but be serious too. Sort of tell us serious messages in a joking way so we were more receptive to it. That makes it easier that way and that’s something I adopted and do when I’m talking to kids now.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Brandon Brown-Dukes, 2016-2017”