Welcome to Steelers Takeaways! – Page 75 – More than 1,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff, media and more with those that played in the 50’s through today’s current roster.

Lupe Sanchez, Steelers Safety, 1986-1988

First, can you let readers know what you’ve been up to since your days in the NFL – and about your investment work, including how you got involved in the investment business?

A lot has happened since I left the Steelers. I took advantage of an internship with Merrill Lynch that I found out about through the NFLPA, and got my securities license to become a stockbroker. So I’ve been in the business for over twenty years now.

I currently work for a company by the name of Stifel Nicolaus headquartered out of St Louis. It is a wonderful company to work for. My wife and I are raising two children, our daughter Jacque 19 and our son Christian 15. They are our pride and joy.

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Fan-Player Stories

While it’s not the same as being at training camp, these stories ware a fun read as we get closer to the start of the season!

@bigelhoe

So I have a training camp story. The year was probably around 2011, I was around 10 years old and I was there with my mom. So up at Saint Vincent we were standing along the fence when the coaches were walking down for practice, and Dick LeBeau walked by. Everyone was begging for an autograph and he wasn’t signing any at all, and my mom yells out “Dick I’ll settle for your initials” and he stopped in his tracks and spun around and said “Alright I gotta give you that one” and I said something along the lines of “ Mr. LeBeau my mom absolutely loves you can you shake her hand?” And he did it and shook her hand.

We traveled from philly every summer for over 10 years for training camp and I actually ending up becoming a student there! I’m a junior at Saint Vincent now and I think all those good memories of training camp certainly influenced my decision!

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Exclusive with Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis

First, can you let me know how you got into the football analytics business?

Well I graduate with a civil engineering degree and worked in construction for many years. That gave me a background in math and problem-solving. But my passion was in understanding why NFL teams won and lost games – what the numbers were behind those who won more and less.

I built my own models and analysis for sports betting and predictions, for sportsbook professionals…. they became interested because I was doing a better job forecasting games than they were at times.

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Exclusive with former Steelers Kicker Kris Brown,1999-2001

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

Well, I own 12 Dunkin’ Donuts franchises now – eight in Oklahoma and four in Kansas City, Missouri. I opened them up in 2012 – the first one in Kansas City and later the first in Omaha in 2013. At the time Dunkin’ Donuts was expanding rapidly Westward – they had an aggressive growth strategy. I was able to got those territories then.

What got you started in that business?

I knew nothing about it really when I got into it. I got started on the operations side and got operational training to understand how to assess what makes a store successful. The only way to understand that was to get my hands dirty. I had a few partners and we decided I’d take on that operational role.

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Exclusive with former Steelers Linebacker Zack Valentine, 1979-1981

First, let mc know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your NFL days?

Basically, I’ve been teaching and coaching high school since I retired from playing. I recently retired from coaching. I’m still in the classroom though teaching health, PE, and driver’s ed. But I don’t go out on the road – I just teach them the law!

Why teaching – and what influences affected how you coached?

I went to school, for a degree. The thing is, when I left high school, I had no desire or inclination to pay pro football. It just happened for me. By the grace of God I had a good eduction at East Carolina and always wanted to be an educator. As a player, you emulate your coaches, and my coaches were like teachers too. You take some of those things you learn and transfer those to what you do in life.I went into sales first before finding a job in teaching, and have been teaching now for almost 25 years.

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Exclusive with Amadi Chukwuemeka Innocent, Founder, American Football for African Mission (AFFAM).

Can you tell me about the program- how long it has been going on for now how it works and who is able to participate in it?

American Football For African Mission (AFFAM) is a commissioned football non-profit corporation which is operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes. We are the first and sole football nonprofit outfit on ground here in Africa – established in the year 2010, but registered with the Cooperate Affairs Commission (CAC) of Nigeria, where our headquarters is situated.

Subsequently with the Secretary of States and North Carolina State, American Football For African Mission (AFFAM), has being ongoing since the summer of 2010 – which is 10 years now. We are a nonprofit which is governed by a Board of Trustee,s in whom I am the Founder and Board Chairman.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Amadi Chukwuemeka Innocent, Founder, American Football for African Mission (AFFAM).”

Exclusive with Former Former US Congressman (FL) and Steelers Minority Owner Tom Rooney

First, what you are doing now with your time?

Well, I’m teaching criminal law right now here in West Palm Beach. And I’ve gotten involved in horse racing a bit. I’m paying more attention to my kids now. I always wanted to spend just eight to 10 years in Congress before I retired. I didn’t want to miss time with my kids when they were older – I wanted to see their football games and spend time with them. It’s a 180 degree change from Congress!

I was actually going to retire after eight years but stayed longer because I started moving up on some of the committees I sat on – plus I had two more years on the Intelligence Committee and wanted to stay on to wrap up the Russia investigation.

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Exclusive with former Steelers Linebacker Dave Hoffman, 1993

First, can you let us know how you got involved as member of the Secret Service?

Basically, going back to when I played at the University of Washington, I was blessed to play with a lot of great guys, But I had a number of injuries, and just like everyone else, you try and battle through them. Even as a rookie after I was drafted by Chicago, I had issues with my neck and back, In those days I had a bad foot and groin issues too.

But I loved playing. I loved being around the guys and loved contact. I loved to hit. As a linebacker I loved to learn the schemes and strategies too. When I was finally let go from my last team – the 49ers, I knew I was done after that. It was a short career – not what I had hoped for. But our bodies are mortal.

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Exclusive with Dave Finoli, Author, Three Rivers Stadium: A Confluence of Champions

First, can you tell me what motivated you and others to write the book?

Basically, I was looking at the 50th anniversary of the building of Three Rivers Stadium. It was a cookie-cutter stadium – nothing special about it aesthetically. But the memories from my time inside the stadium were special.

I went to my first Pirates game there, a couple of days after they opened the stadium. I saw the Steelers upset Cleveland there finally – watched the fans behind me burn the Cleveland Browns pennant after the game – that was a fun moment!

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Exclusive with Former Steelers Quarterback Todd Blackledge, 1988-1989

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

Well, I’ve been a college football analyst for ESPN – now going on my 29th year. I’ve been calling college football games for the last 12 years with ESPN.

I majored on speech with an emphasis on broadcasting at Penn State. This is what I always though I wanted to do. I just didn’t know for sure until I had a chance to get into it after I stopped playing.

Was the post-NFL adjustment difficult for you?

It’s always hard no matter who you are. There’s nothing like playing the game. I loved playing – and playing it for living was special, It’s a big hole – a big void to fill. You miss the locker room – the comradery. There’s nothing else that simulates that. I was fortunate to be around the business – to watch and study games film – that helped with the adjustment. I was able to make being around the game a career. But even with that I have to say it was still hard at first and it took me a while to get into the career.

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