Tag: Rivalry

First – tell me a bit about what you’ve been doing with yourself since retirement from the NFL?

Well, I’m an insurance broker here in Seattle. I’ve been doing that since I retired – really before I retired. I was doing that in the offseason for about five years before I retired. I retired right after the playoffs – went to Costa Rica and fished for two weeks – then came back and continued to work.

Jumping into the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh – how did you guys prepare for that game?

I think we approached it as we did most games. We got Pittsburgh when they were hot – they got hot at the right time and won some road games in the playoffs.  But we prepared like we always prepared. We looked at it as “We do what we do and know how we want to prepare for games.”

‘We knew Pittsburgh had their exotic blitzes and were strong upfront – they had guys you had to account for of course. But we prepared they way we felt we should have and didn’t worry so much about what Pittsburgh did. That’s how we approached the season and we felt like we had a good week of practice.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Seattle Center Robbie Tobeck”

First, can you let us know about your coaching career -your start in the XFL and mentors/approach?

I’m the defensive backs coach now for the XFL’s New York Guardian team. It’s such a young league I don’t have much to talk about yet, but we’re looking for quality guys who may not all have been able to make it in the NFL but who have a fire and passion for the game.

The coaches that helped shape my coaching career were guys like Nick Saban, who helped show me technique and was very demanding. Phil Bennett as well – he was very family oriented. Pat Thomas coached the defensive backs with the Oilers and he and Rod Perry ended up giving me the techniques and drills that are the foundation for the drills I use today with my players. I had some great coaches over my career.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Oilers Cornerback Cris Dishman”

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

I got my degree in building construction from Texas A&M. In the offseason in ’89 Art Modell offered us all a chance to take career counseling which was great – I took advantage of that and it was extremely helpful. My interest in drafting and engineering was supported by that – my dad picked a good major for me – he knew who I was.

1989 was my last season in the NFL. I took a year off and volunteered at an Episcopal church as a youth leader but, while it was a good experience, I never felt that calling. I got an internship later for a Shermur Construction  which turned out to be the same company that did the work on Cleveland Municipal Stadium. I thought that was pretty cool.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Browns Offensive Lineman Cody Risien”

First, tell us about what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?

I’m in the youth and adult mentoring business – I’ve been doing that for 25 years now. I played for 12 years before I retired – started a photography business after I retired but that was only for a short while.

The transition was wasn’t easy. It’s never easy for players – so I ended up also helping to consult with other players to help them. I went back to school after I retired and studied psychology because of the transition difficulty then worked with schools and helped consult for the state of California.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Cleveland Browns Defensive Lineman Jerry Sherk”

First, can you update us a bit on what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?

Well, I’m doing several things. I’m consulting – helping companies with new business development – law firms, structured settlements – I help those businesses. I also have a spice business I’ve been running for six-to-seven years now. These were spices developed by my dad who had a restaurant in California – he was one of the best chefs and butchers I ever met in my life.

That’s all kept me busy.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Oilers Quarterback Dan Pastorini on the Houston-Steelers Rivalry”

First, let us know what you’re doing with yourself since you retired from the NFL?

So this is my 28th year out of the league. My first seven years I did broadcasting for the NFL then became an analyst for college football games and went on to ESPN. I retired from the NFL when my kids were nine and 11. When the first went to college at Tennessee I retired from broadcasting so I could go and see every home and away game he played.

Now, I do broadcasting for the Bengals preseason games.

I also started the Anthony Munoz Foundation and have a couple of small businesses I help manage, including a corporate apparel company.

I also work with the NFL’s Hall of Fame programs and do a lot of public speaking as well – I enjoy that. Plus, I have nine grandchildren!

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Bengals Offensive Lineman Anthony Munoz”

First, tell me about your book, When the Lions Roared – and what made you decide to write it?

Well, it was published in September of 2017. I decided to write it after my 35th Penn State championship team reunion when we all got back together.

I spoke to 35 former Penn State teammates and coaches to get their stories from those championship teams and added those to the book. The idea started when I moved back here to Pittsburgh and was at the Carnegie Library. I started looking through an NCAA Encyclopedia and saw a section referring to teams that played the toughest schedules in college history. Many of the Penn State teams were on the list. I researched it further and saw that few if any teams on that list won as many games as those Penn State teams. Few did what we did -especially that 1982 team. So I did more homework and gathered more data so that readers could read this book and decide for themselves whether that Penn State team was one of the best ever. There’s even sortable data on my website that readers can play with to see for themselves if we were one of the best teams of the modern college football era.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Browns Offensive Lineman Bill Contz”

First, let me know what you’re up to these days?

I just started doing some part-time coaching for a high school here in Fort Worth, Texas.  Before that I was just hanging out with the kids, really.  A whole lot of nothing, really. I got involved with some businesses after a few years of taking it easy and resting – keeping the revenue stream going.

Any coaching influences form your playing days?

Brian Billick for sure. Steve Spurrier Jr. Danny Wyatt – my college receivers coach. Spurrier showed me how to have fun -just his approach to coaching. Wyatt was a technician – he showed me that every step mattered. And Brian Billick – he taught me how to be more responsible for my own development. He wasn’t a micro-manager. He expected you to do what you were supposed to do. He showed us what I meant to be responsible young men. That was huge for me.

Continue reading “Exclusive with former Ravens Wide Receiver Mark Clayton”

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

Well, I’ve had a lot of issues with concussions and head injuries. I’m retired – living here in Cincinnati.

First, any fun memories of the Steelers-Bengals rivalry?

The best story I have is that Mike Webster and I were both University of Wisconsin guys. So there was that rivalry between us – two Badgers going at it.

We knew each other and were both so competitive. Mike was a man’s center. Some centers were finesse guys and some were physical guys. Mike was a physical guy. We used to scout each other during the games we played against each other. We’d give each other pluses or minuses on every play. He’d tell me he got me on the play, but I’d tell him they still didn’t get any yards, so we’d argue over pluses and minuses every play.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Bengals Defensive Lineman Tim Krumrie”

First, let’s talk about your coaching career – how did you get started?

I’m now in my third year as a head coach at a division III school – Southern Virginia University. I’m really enjoying it. I started off as the defensive line coach, then the defensive coordinator and now the head coach. It wasn’t exactly the way I thought my coaching career would go but It’s been rewarding and very exciting.

After I retired in 2009, I got into high school coaching and dabbled in volunteer coaching for other schools. I moved my family to Samoa after that and went off the grid for a few years before coming coming back in 2015. I looked for a coaching job and helped out at Southern Utah with Ed Mann. I worked with him for one year then he went to BYU and I went to Southern Virginia.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Ravens Offensive Lineman Ed Mulitalo”