More than 2,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff PLUS interviews with Pittsburgh actors, musicians, authors and more
As we close out 2025, the Steelers organization and surrounding community suffered so many losses of players, coaches, reporters, owners and more. A really tough year for the #Steelers community. Remembering them all here:
First, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since your time the NFL – and how was the post-NFL transition?
Now I’m just investing in properties with any wife – we are in to real estate investing. Life is good.
The transition was extremely hard. When you play you miss time with your family but nothing can match the comradery you had after you leave the game. You can never have that again. You had it from Little League through the NFL. You can have a lot of friends after the NFL but nothing is like what you had in the locker room. I know they are trying harder now to get former players back together at events to help with that.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Bengals, Ravens Fullback Nick Luchey”
First off, what have you been up to since your time in the NFL?
I’m working for a title company now. I was the Director of Player Development for the Browns then with regime change after regime change we were out. My father in law got me into this now and I’m doing this here in Ohio.
My oldest daughter is playing volleyball on scholarship at North Carolina and my younger daughter is in Florida. My son – we’re just trying to figure out where he’s going to go to high school!
Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Browns Tight End Aaron Shea”
First off – you started off as a music and film writer – why sports, and sports history?
I grew up a sports nerd – I had a Sports Illustrated subscription when I was seven. I dreamed of being the starting quarterback for the Chiefs but by 11 or 12 I knew that wasn’t going to happen.
I was a Journalism major at Creighton. My last two years I had a job on the sports desk at the World Herald which was a very influential newspaper then. I noticed then that a lot of the people that covered sports got bitter and lost their love of sports. I didn’t want to do that. I was a sports junkie but I decided instead to cover movies and music – I didn’t want to cover Chiefs games.
First off, what are you up to now?
I’m on tour in September – I’m playing in the Northeast and in Canada. I’m playing in Ohio, New York, Chicago….
I know you had an early start to playing by learning from guys like Hendrix – correct?
My best friend in my teenage years was Velvert Turner – he was a Black kid that knew Jimmy and took lessons from him. He’d come to my house since I lived close to Jimmy’s apartment. He would show me what Jimmy taught him. It’s hard to describe that to someone else – it’s about the vibration and electricity. John Lee Hooker one told me that the secret of learning how to play the electric guitar was to learn one string first. Play it up and down the neck and shake the guitar. He actually said to take all of the other strings off but I couldn’t afford to do that so I just played the one strong. I learned verticality.
First off, I know you’re coaching quarterbacks now at William & Mary – how did that start?
In January I was working at the shipyard – I was out of football – I was coaching basketball as a volunteer but that was it. I wasn’t involved in football.
But then I got a call out of the blue. I didn’t have any conversations with him before, but Coach London at William & Mary called and said they had a job that just opened up coaching quarterbacks there. The other guy just left and Spring ball was starting in a month. He was just calling then to see if I was interested.
I told him I haven’t been looking for a coaching job but if the situation was right I would definitely be interested. We had a conversation and I spoke to my wife afterwards and it all lined up. A day later I gave my two-week notice at the shipyard!
Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Quarterback Bryan Randall, 2007”
What are the latest works/efforts you want people to know about?
I finished my most recent book Dragstripping at the end of 2024 – that was my eighth book. I’m working on a new book of poems but I don’t have a name for it yet. I write about the same things as many writers do. In this case I’m writing more about the West. I was out there and love the mountains almost as much as I love steel mills. So I’m doing something to join those two.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Pittsburgh Award-Winning Poet Jan Beatty”
First off, can you let me know how you started off with the team?
I was supposed to start as a training camp intern but the team purchased a VR tool in 2018 from a company called Strivr. Omar asked if I wanted to work on that instead since they knew I had video experience and I said “Hell yeah!” Anything to get a role on the team.
How did the team use the VR system?
It was used by the offense – the defense didn’t really use it. We had six go-pro cameras that filmed practices. We’d upload that film and players could put on the VR goggles and look around and hear the sounds from the practices. They could rewind the film to relive plays – look right and left and watch how things developed and what to look out for.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers VR Asst/Scout Fawwaz Izzuddin, 2018-2024”
First off, what have you been up to since your playing days?
Right now I’m helping train guys for the combine and pro days. I have a buddy who runs the House of Athletes and I’m working with him when they need me. I’m also supporting my kids in their athletic pursuits as well.
Was the post-NFL transition difficult?
At first it was difficult – you play for 11 years and have the same routine and then you are out of that routine. You feel lost at first and have to re-find your way. But I adapted. You come to the conclusion that you were blessed to play for so long. I didn’t think growing up that I would ever play in the NFL. But once you tell yourself it’s over you can then start to find your way again.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers/Ravens/Browns Defensive Back Corey Ivy”
First, tell us a bit about you – your writing career, etc?
I’m a retired school teacher – originally from Mississippi. I taught in Georgia and North Carolina and grew up a Steelers fan.I stuck with them throughout my life. I read all I could on the team at an early age – that’s how I got going early on in my research.
Once I was done with my career I could spend more time on writing.