Tag: Steelers

First off, what are you up to now since your playing days?

I’m working in the sheriff’s office now in Alachua County as the deputy  there- I’m also on the bomb squad there. Besides that I’m enjoying life and watching my son grow up.

What made you decide to go into law enforcement and how did playing ball help you as a deputy?

I got my college degree in Sociology – I always wanted to go into law enforcement. It’s a challenging career and everlasting  learning. I wanted to get my Masters in Criminology in college but I wanted to pursue ball first.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Tony Brooks-James, 2019, 2021”

First off, can you let us know what you got into after your football career ended?

After football I spent a lot of time in Manhattan work in the financial industry. I worked for Reuters, Dow Jones, Thomson Financial then Broadridge Financial. It was a good run until I decided to hang it up and retire a short while ago.

Was the post-football transition difficult?

It worked out ok. I lived in New York for a while – uptown – then moved to New Jersey and took the boat into the city. A lot of my clients were on the boat. I worked with the bankers and brokers in the city.

After a while I just decided that it was time to start working and enjoyed it. It was a good transition.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Quarterback Leo Gasienica, 1974”

Second half of interview continuing from Exclusive with Art Rooney Jr. Part I – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

I know so much is written about Bill Nunn’s impact and the delving into HBCUs when discussing those late 60’s and 70’s drafts. But outside of that, what was really working for you in terms of how you approached the scouting process and what you looked for that was different from others teams? Not every stellar player was an HBCU guy?

We were a losing team – we had early picks and didn’t fuck them up!

But we focused a lot on athleticism – size, speed, quickness, control – and vision too.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Art Rooney Jr. Part 2”

First off, what’s a day in the life look like for you today – what are you up to now and how involved if at all are you with the team?

I still have stock in the team and am on the board. But it’s their team now. Dan and his son and grandson all work for the team now. I pay attention and listen on the board and answer questions when I can – but I won’t make shit up if I don’t have an answer.

On October 18th I’ll turn 90 years old. I never wanted my name on the scoreboard – but this year I want it! I want it to say “Happy 90th Birthday Art Rooney Jr.!” I’ve had a good run – I have good DNA like my mom and dad did!

Continue reading “Exclusive with Art Rooney Jr. Part I”

So what does the offseason look like for you?

I just signed my futures contact so I’m just focusing now on resting my body for a bit. But then I’ll get the training back up again. I get antsy – I can’t sit around for long. I can’t go too hard in the offseason – I won’t go 24/7 – but I’ll ramp it up as we get closer to the season. I want to be on the 53 next season.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Defensive Lineman Kyler Baugh”

First off, what have you been up to since your playing days?

Since elementary school I knew I wanted to play football and I’m thankful that happened. It didn’t go the way I wanted it to but most guys have that same story. I got to form a lot of great relationships and qualities from those experiences though.

Now, I’m doing long and short term rentals here in Las Vegas – I have a few properties in Vegas I manage and also have some vending machines I manage as well!

Was the post-NFL transition difficult?

It was very difficult but I had the pleasure of playing overseas – that gave me the downtime I needed to help with the transition – just trying out new things. That made it not as hard.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Larry Croom, 2007”

First off, what is the situation and plan now for you?

Well, after we heard the news of Mike Tomlin leaving, we were all told we were free agents able to pursue other opportunities. There are a couple that may be available soon but it’s early. There’s nothing permanent yet – some lukewarm opportunities right now,

Obviously with Mike McCarthy coming in the storyline is he wants to go in a different direction – he let us know he wanted to bring in his own guys which makes sense. Everyone wants to being in their own guys – guys loyal to them they can trust.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Strength and Conditioning Coach / Sports Science Coordinator, Roderick Moore, Jr.”

What is the situation now for you in terms of coaching?

It’s always a challenging time – but its part of the business. Now I’m just in a bit of wait-and-see mode – it just depends on who gets what jobs. There are some promising conversations I’ve had – some potential opportunities I’m excited about.

I would love to stay in Pittsburgh. It’s been two years there now – my family loves the schools and neighborhood and it’s been terrific being a part of the organization. It’s been a special time for me, learning from Mike Tomlin and being a part of an organization that does things the right way. If the opportunity presents itself I would love to stay in Pittsburgh. It just depends on who they hire.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Quarterback Coach Tom Arth”

First off, what have you been up to since you retired from the NFL?

I’m currently the sales manager for a car dealership in South Boston, Virginia. I retired around when Covid hit – I had knee issues and tried o rehab it, but it just wasn’t doing well. I wasn’t able to practice and play at my best. I had calls to play still, but I decided then that I was done.

My friend was in the car sales business and he got me interested in it. He got me the opportunity, and when he was promoted to general manger, I went with him and became the sales manager.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Lineman Winston Craig, 2019”

First off, what’s the plan/situation for you now?

Well, I’m not under contract as of the end of February. So I’m waiting on these job openings to get filled to see where I can get an opportunity. It all depends on who comes in for those jobs.

Would you stay in Pittsburgh if given a chance?

Well you treat it like any other job at this point.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Wide Receivers Coach Zach Azzanni”