Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

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

Well, I’m retired now. In’ ’89 I hurt my knee in training camp and I couldn’t come back from it. I anticipated catching on with another team after the Steelers released me but that didn’t work out, so I walked away from the game.

After that I took it easy. I was young and financially comfortable. I just took it easy and golfed, traveled, and spent time with friends and family. In my late 30’s I had a son, so I got to be a stay-at-home dad for the first eight years or so. I really enjoyed that – I was able to nurture that relationship with my son.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Defensive Lineman Keith Gary, 1983-1988”

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

Well, I’ve been retired for six years or so now – since 2015. I was the Supervisor of Athletics for Baltimore City Public Schools up until then.  Since then my wife and I have been traveling a lot – at least before the pandemic. We went to South Africa most recently.

I still do some consulting for local schools to help them with their athletic programs  and spend time with my family. That’s about it though now.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Cornerback Bob Wade, 1968”

First, can you let us know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time playing football?

Well, I went back to NC State and got my Masters in Agriculture. I grew up on a farm – that was always a passion for me. I worked for an agriculture company, got married and had two kids.

I expanded my family, got into some real estate as well. Those were my biggest things!

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Tight End Ralph Britt, 1987”

First, can you tell us what you’ve been doing with yourself since you retired?

I actually retired 10 years ago. My wife and I moved back to the Western Pa. area where my family is from. My father graduated from high school here though I never lived here in this part of Western Pa.

Since we came back I’ve gotten involved more in family things. I traveled for 40 years as a coach and I wasn’t able to be as involved with family. Now I’m involved in the church where my brother-in-law was the organist and doing things with my grandchildren. My daughter has two stepchildren and my son adopted three kids. Now I wonder how I stay so busy. Some days I just want to sit down! I’m very fortunate.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Offensive Line Coach Jack Henry, 1990-1995”

First, can you let me know what you have been involved in since your time in football?

Well, I got out of football after playing for two years. I was going half-time to UCLA’s graduate business school – after three years I got my degree.

I worked for a big conglomerate – TransAmerica – for two years then had the good fortune to fall into a venture capital partnership in San Francisco. I always wanted to get into the start-up scene. I worked there for six-to-seven years – a company called Continental Capital.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Defensive Lineman Frank Atkinson, 1963”

First, let me know what you’ve been doing with yourself since stepping down in Pittsburgh?

To be honest, I’m not sure what I’ll do next. I left the Steelers to spend time with my two sons. My youngest is a senior in high school – it’s his last year. I just wanted to go through that journey with him.

My oldest son is a Sophomore at UCLA- he plays football there. I wanted to be able to watch him play. I couldn’t do that if I was coaching. I knew I couldn’t get that time back if I was coaching. I know I would have regretted it.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Safety/Defensive Backs Coach Carnell Lake, 1989-1998, 2011-2017”

First, can you let us know a bit about you?

Well, I’m a communications professor at Penn State Greater Allegheny – just outside of Pittsburgh. I teach classes on mass media and culture. There’s never a lack of stuff to harp on there, for sure.

I love teaching – my main goal is to get students to pay attention to media and politics. I’ve also played in bands for 20-plus years, though not recently.

In reading a lot about your dad – one thing that seemed to stand out about his success was was his work ethic. What did you notice about that growing up?

I think it was a combination of things. He worked hard and was physically dominant and incredibly tenacious. My brother and I have spoken to many people who he coached – who told us about his coaching at Michigan State and elsewhere and how he’d headbutt guys by accident in practice when he was showing them drills, or manhandled younger guys in practice seven-to-eight years after he was out of the league.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Zack Furness, Son of Steelers 70’s Defensive Lineman/Coach Steve Furness”

First, can you tell me about your new career in law and how that got started?

Right now I’m a lawyer working for Norton Rose & Fulbright here in Dallas. I’m in the corporate finance practice – mostly because I took the steps in front of me and that’s where they led.

I went to law school because that’s where I felt there was the most meat on the bone, so to speak. I wanted to try it – I didn’t know what it would take. I didn’t think I would be doing big law, but here I am. I got here because I ran into a friend in law school that I played little league with – someone I hadn’t seen since then. He was a lawyer at the firm I’m at now – I work for him now.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Punter Daniel Sepulveda, 2007-2011”

First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing with yourself since you retired?

Well, I’m helping now with a physical therapy clinic with my brother-in-law. He is a physical therapist and bought out the practice he was in. Even seven years into my playing career I was looking to see what I could do when I retired. I was in the league long enough to know it was above average and that I needed to prepare myself for life after football.

I was looking at investment ideas when my brother-in-law bought out the practice. He and I took over the business. I helped out in my spare time while I was playing, then when I retired I started working about a half-day every day remotely, here from Pittsburgh.

Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Long Snapper Greg Warren, 2005-2016”

First, can you let me know what you have been doing since you retired from the NFL?

Well, I’m a farmer, and we never retire. I have a great crew that handles the wheat and wine grapes and the winery we own as well.

I basically walk around now acting like I’m important! They all treat me nice.

How was that post-NFL adjustment for you?

My adjustment was fairly good. I got hurt in ’62 and I knew I was done. I was let go by the Steelers before then and picked up by the Vikings and played there for a year-and-a-half before I got hurt.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Cornerback Dean Derby, 1957-1961”