Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

First, what have you been doing with yourself since you retired in 2017?

Since I’ve been done playing – it’s been over five years now – I’m still trying to figure out what to do full-time. I’ve dabbled in coaching – helping receivers prepare for the combine and pro days – that sort of thing.

The last couple of seasons I’ve been doing some media stuff too – working for the local NBC affiliate doing a weekly spot on TV.  There may be more opportunity there. I don’t want to coach at the NFL or college level. I always told myself while I was playing that the last thing I wanted to do was spend more time on football after I played than when I played. That can happen as a coach. I have three young kids and I don’t want them to not see me at all.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Lance Moore, 2014”

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

I’ve been working at International Paper now for the last 25 yeas. I had thyroid issues when I was playing that forced me to stop playing. I didn’t know what I was going to do next but I went with a friend for an interview there and that’s how I got started.

How was the post-football transition for you under those circumstances?

It was difficult – it wasn’t planned. When the hyper-thyroid issues happened I lost too much weight – I had to stop playing and that was hard not having a say in how you stop. I had to deal with that and at the same time I had to figure out how to earn an income. I just got lucky I found the job I did.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Darryl Ford, 1992”

First, tell me about your coaching work at Raw Talent in Columbus and how you got started with that?

I do speed and strength training and football-specific skills work. Raw Talent started really in Cleveland in 2005 – by Mark Harris. Mark trained me, Denzel Ward, Shaq Washington, Connor Cook and others. We expanded to Columbus and that’s where I work from.

What coaches helped shape the way you approach your work with athletes today?

Mark – especially on the training aspect. I learned a lot about technique and style from him. Looking back in college too, Coach Meyer taught me a lot about why he did things and how to do them. I watched what he did to prepare and liked a lot of the “isms” he had. He knew how to make things make sense by being pure and blunt. You couldn’t run from things with him – you had to go through the fire to build yourself up. He used to tell us “Some do, some don’t.” He’d have his thumb up at do and down and don’t. There were no gray areas with him – you had to choose whether you were going to do it or not.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Back Doran Grant, 2015”

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

I’ve just been working and enjoying spending time with my family – my wife, kids and grandkids.

Was it hard adjusting to life after football?

Sure I missed it, but God put me on this journey and I’m thankful to him on a daily basis and appreciate him giving me the opportunity to play football. But I took it ll in stride. God has been good to me. I worked at a seafood restaurant for 23 years, then at a fishery for the last 12 years. I’ve been in the seafood business now for 35 years.

So you’re eating well!

Ha! Oh yeah I am!

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver/Kick Returner Ernie Pough, 1975-1976”

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

When I played I was working for Dow Chemical in the offseason. I went to the University of Virginia and got my degree in chemical engineering.

When I was released in September of ’86 due to injury, I just moved on and worked. I came from a working family – from Alabama – that’s what you did. I went to Ohio two weeks after I was released and worked for Dow.

Was the post-NFL transition difficult?

It was like anything else – you have transitions all through life. You do what you have to do – you just have to be responsible and live your life. I worked as a sales engineer for chemical companies then got involved in real estate when I went to Houston. I got a lot of experience at Dow – in accounting, production, research … it was good for me when I opened up my own business in real estate.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Fullback Steve Morse, 1985”

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

Well, I’ve done a number of things. After football, I started as a commercial real estate broker, but it ended up being bad timing, so I moved on to commercial landscaping – I was a project manager for a large landscaping company. But that company went under.

After that I went into the food service industry and ended up working for Cisco for 24 years. It worked out well for me – it let me move down to their headquarters here in Phoenix where my family all are now so I can see them often.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker/Defensive Lineman Bob Kohrs, 1981-1985”