Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

First, I know you’ve gone through more of your fair share of heath issues. How are you doing now?

Well, I’m 67 now. I’m doing well now. I realized that there were some things I could have done differently when I played – to take care of my body more.  I played through pain a lot of times. You know, like when they ask you how many fingers they have up the then throw you back in the game.

The equipment and artificial turf – we didn’t have the rubber fields then – it was concrete. We were the testers of that stuff then and our bodies went through a lot.

Continue reading “Exclusive wth Former Bengals Defensive Lineman Ross Browner”

First, can you let us know some of the things you got involved with since your time in the NFL?

There’s not much to do now with Covid – just staying at home really. But after football I worked for the military for 35 years doing charity work for them – helping with the Special Olympics and the school.

You also got involved in professional wrestling – how did that happen?

I needed a job! I was living in Virginia Beach and met the owner of the wrestling company there. He told me he thought I could be good at wrestling. I went to the wrestling school and got in shape – learned how to wrestle. I enjoyed it but I was on the road every day. It was too much traveling, I could do all the stuff and liked it, it was just too much time on the road.

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

I have eight grandkids within a quarter mile of where I live so that’s nice.

My last two offseasons in the NFL I worked part-time, training to be a commercial real estate agent. I sold business insurance after football and got myself ready for that before I retired. Day one after football I got a job doing that and worked as an agent for 30 years!

Was the post-NFL transition difficult – it sounds like you had a good plan?

I eased into it fairly well. After 10 years I knew I couldn’t – or at least shouldn’t – do it anymore. After Colgate – well, let’s put it this way – when you go to Colgate you don’t go thinking you’re going to get drafted in the NFL, for obvious reasons. But four years later I got drafted, and I said “Ok. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”  I figured the worst that could happen was I didn’t make the team. It wouldn’t have been an embarrassment if I didn’t.  Continue reading “Exclusive with former Raiders Fullback Mark van Eaghen”

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

Once I got out of football I coached high school football for five years  then college for seven years. After I made the Hall of Fame in 2003 I decided to stop. I loved coaching for Sam Rutigliano – I did that for two years at Liberty. At Duke I was the line coach for five years – it was brutal. You are in an office most of the day and the days run from 7:30 am to 9:00 at night. With a break to work with players in between. I told my wife that I had to figure something else out.

That’s when I started working with Scott Peters – the line coach in Cleveland – and Mike Pollack – we started Tip of the Spear. We coach a new way for linemen to block. Instead of hands, head, butt, it’s hands, butt, head. It’s more effective – it’s what Cleveland did to Pittsburgh last year. And it’s safer for players. We used to be taught to lead with your head – to get your head into someone’s chest. Once the facemask was invented that’s what linemen were taught. It caused concussions and all sorts of problems and wasn’t as effective.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Buffalo and Cleveland Offensive Lineman Joe DeLamielleure”