Welcome to Steelers Takeaways! – Page 61 – More than 2,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff PLUS interviews with Pittsburgh actors, musicians, authors and more

Exclusive with Ed Reynolds NFL Legends Community Director of the Northeast Region

Can you let me know how you got involved with the NFL front office initially?

I was retired for three years when a former teammate recommended me for a job there with Gene Washington in the league front office. He was working on game operations and needed an assistant director. I interviewed for that job and started working for him.

One of my main tasks was to work with teams on uniform code violations, and we launched the high school coach of the week program. We also started a college relations program where we’d go to the colleges and talk to the athletic directors to see what they’d like us to talk to their athletes about. Gambling, drinking…there were a myriad of things we could talk about that were relevant to their schools. We wanted to help show colleges that we weren’t interested in taking kids away from college. Our rule is unique in that you have to be three years out of high school before you can sign with an NFL team. Three years is a long time – you really have to go to college to play.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Tight End Vance McDonald, 2017-2020

First, let me know what you’ve been up to since retirement – I know Hidden Meadow Retreat is a big focus.

Yeah. The retreat was always a big focus since I thought about what I would do post-football. In 2017 my wife and I started praying and asking God how to use us. I knew football was a means to an end – it wouldn’t last forever. When football ended I didn’t just want to sit around and be a consumer. I wanted to give back in a unique way.

I thought about it – reflected and prayed on it. I realized after speaking to pastors and Christian leaders that they were getting burned out. There are so many incredible people doing great things but they weren’t getting enough support.

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Exclusive with Steelers Defensive Lineman Montravius Adams

First off, what’s the offseason plan for you?

Honestly, I just hope to be up in Pittsburgh most of the time during the offseason. It depends on the next couple of steps with the contract discussions. Just some little things. Hopefully it all goes well and is done soon.

I just expect to be working out with Cam, TJ, Tyson and those guys. Working with all of them hopefully.

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Stahle’ Vincent, 1972-1973

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

After football, I went into business with my brother and another partner – we had two men’s retail clothing stores. But I soon realized that just wasn’t for me.

I wrote to Rawlings Sporting Goods – they had just launched a management training program so my timing was good. They hired me and I became a sales manager in the DC area, working with wholesalers, calling on colleges, pro teams and high schools. I ran into a lot of guys I played with and against in college and the NFL there.

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Exclusive with Steelers Defensive Back Tre Norwood

First off, what are your offseason plans – how are you approaching the offseason?

For me, this is my first offseason. The biggest thing for me is to go back home and be with my family and take some time off. Let my body rest. Then, it’s back to working out and preparing for a big year two.

So nothing crazy – just working out and being with the family.

What have the coaches asked you to work on in your exit interviews – anything specific?

From the first couple, just working on gaining strength. It’s a 17-game season – at minimum. Just getting bigger and stronger to bolster my strength for a long season.

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Steelers Players Comments on Keith Butler

Arthur Moats: “Of course Butler coached under LeBeau and was molded by him. From a situational standpoint though they could be different, LeBeau would have 40-50 playcalls a game and if you didn’t know them you didn’t play. Butler would adjust more. Sometimes players couldn’t keep up and he’d have as little as 10 playcalls a game.”

Clark Haggans: “Coach Butler – we called him Butts – his meeting room was always down to work. He had a lot of, let’s just say colorful characters like Deebo, Joey, Foote, Kendrell Bell. He used to tell us we’d be the death of him. He was always stressed out. We would tease him about when he played in Seattle – make fun of him about guys running him over when he played. We didn’t even know if that really happened. He also liked to brag a lot about his golf game.

He wasn’t always about football though – sometimes he’d just give us common sense lessons about life. It wasn’t just about football, and that helped me. I needed days like that. And he’d have those expressions – “I need dogs that will hunt!” Joey had his too – he always said he was “6’3″, 250 pounds, I’m the prototype linebacker. They made me in a factory!” Like he was Robocop!”

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Exclusive with Steelers Tight End Kevin Rader

First, what’s the offseason looking like for you – what’s the plan?

The process for me is to take a month off and let my body rehab – let those bruises get back to normal. Then, it’s back to the grind. A lot of lifting and running – you name it. I just want to take a step up from last season – to take a bigger step in my special teams play and and get more opportunities in the offensive part of the game – to get more reps there.

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Exclusive with Steelers Defensive Lineman Daniel Archibong

First, tell me how the season went for you?

It was a great one – no complaints. I am grateful to be blessed to have stayed with the team the whole season. With free agency and the way the crazy season has gone, a lot of guys are released and go all over the country. I was blessed to be able to stay in Pittsburgh the whole season.

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Steelers Players, Coaches, Owner and Front Office Staff on Ben Roethlisberger

Mark Whipple: “My report had him over Rivers. I was the coach at U Mass when we played Rivers. He was a tremendously talented guy. In fact, two of those three quarterbacks taken first in the draft that year should be first ballot Hall of Famers. Rivers just didn’t have the team around him the other guys did.”

Why did you like Ben better?

“I was really impressed with Phil but Ben was a year younger which we valued, and he was a lot more athletic. I didn’t meet Phil’s parents but Ben’s were great people. And playing well in the cold weather was a huge thing. His senior year he played Bowling Green in a snow storm and threw for over 430 yards. That’s huge for a player playing in Pittsburgh. We’re not playing in a dome.

He didn’t even play quarterback until his junior year in high school. He was a wide receiver before then because they were starting someone else there instead.”

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Jason Johnson, 1989

First – I know you got into coaching – tell me how you got started?

Coaching was always my dream since high school – that was my goal, to come back and coach at my alma mater. I ended up doing that 25 years later.

In college I learned that in order to coach in Illinois you had to be a certified teacher. Teaching was never my goal – it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I was hoping to go into the FBI or something like that. But I fell in love with sports and coaching in college and they told me I needed the degree in physical education to coach.

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