Tag: Steelers

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

Currently I’m working as then Deputy Shift Supervisor for the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office.  I’ve worked in law enforcement now for over 22 years and started basically because of former Steeler Dwight Stone.

How did that come about?

He was a guy who took me under his wing as a rookie and talked to me about the transition away from sports. He was the main reason for me to get involved in this.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive/Offensive Lineman Mike Finn, 1992-93”

First off, what have you been up to since your time in the NFL?

When I left the NFL, I was rehabbing my shoulder. Surgery fixed it and I was running every day and stayed in shape, and ended up playing in the CFL. I still wanted to fulfill that chapter as a player. I went to the Gray Cup with British Columbia but unlike Baltimore, we didn’t win the championship. We lost to Toronto by one touchdown.

A couple of years later I went and played for Toronto and British Columbia won it!

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers (2000), Ravens and Bengals Tight End Jason Gavadza”

First off, what have you learned about the job since taking over the role this year?

I’ll say this – I did basketball play-by-play on TV before I did football on the radio. It’s almost the opposite experience with football. You have to be much more organized – TV is much easier. You can’t see it live on radio – you have to describe all of it and that takes more time. So you have to be much more organized to do that. It’s those little things – those nuances that I’ve been concentrating on.

But it’s been a blast. I mean. I’m really having a blast doing it!

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Radio Play-by-Play Announcer Rob King”

First off, can you let me know what you started doing with yourself after your playing days?

I was picked up in the expansion draft after the Patriots released me. That was when Cincinnati was coming in to the league, and I was invited to go to camp with them. It was an opportunity to meet Paul Brown then. I spoke to him, but after a while I decided it was time for me to retire – so I retired in 1968.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Back Ron Hall, 1959”

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

I’m in the transportation business – I own a transportation service – a 26-foot box truck and haul freight, move people – anything that fits that I can haul. I got into it last year and it’s doing really well. I enjoy it and like working for myself.

Was the post-football adjustment difficult for you?

It wasn’t too bad for me. It got close at one point but I got some things together and got into coaching and training. That was the path a lot of athletes take when they are done – it’s familiar. I trained high school, junior high and college athletes. That was easy – I loved to work out so I enjoyed that.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back LaDarius Perkins, 2014”

First off, what have you been up to since your time in Pittsburgh?

After I was finished in Pittsburgh I played for two years in the UFL in Florida. After that I started coaching and working and being a father – things like that.

How did you get started in coaching?

My parents started a track team when I was a young kid. When my kid was playing flag football I and some buddies coached his team. My parents always wanted me to coach their track team but I just wasn’t ready yet. It was a big commitment. But after a while I dipped my toes in the water and tried it and realized how fulfilling it was. I loved it and decided then to continue the legacy. I’ve been doing that now for 12 years.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Safety Derrick Richardson, 2009”

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

Now, I do work with Homeland Security and the TSA, helping them with budgets. I’ve been doing that for a while now. After I finished playing I taught for a year with my wife in Springfield, Virginia. I played in NFL Europe then after teaching I got into government contract work.

Now, I own my own staffing company, placing nurses here in Pittsburgh.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Antwon McCray, 2002”

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

I got a job doing maintenance work. After football I’ve had issues with bipolar depression – that all really began after football.

Have you gotten support?

People have helped me, yeah. Playing football kept me busy – kept me focused so it didn’t really affect me as much until after I stopped playing. School was the same way – it kept me focused I guess so it didn’t really affect me until after I was done playing.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Moses Ford, 1987”

First off, can you let me know you’ve been up to since your playing days?

I’m a private wealth advisor now with AllianceBernstein. We have $650 billion under management but we act more like a boutique firm. The firm is based in Nashville but I work out of Columbus, Ohio. I don’t target athletes, funny enough, but I do get calls from them as I work through my coaching networks.

We’re the first financial management firm to be recommended by the NFLPA on their website. When agents talk to players about their financial needs they are supposed to refer to the site first – though I don’t think they all do that!

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Fullback Brendan Joe, 2006”

First, can you let me know what you’ve been up to since you stopped playing?

Since my playing days I went to work in finance. I spent one-and-a-half years in corporate finance then took an opportunity to work as an asset manager and have been doing that for the past 16 years. I’m in Austin and lead a big part of our business where we create investment solutions for financial advisors.

Was the post-NFL transition difficult?

That goes back a ways, but I’d say it was fairly smooth. I was able to find a job quickly. I was from Seattle and had a lot of interest from companies when I was done, but I wanted to stay close to Seattle at first. I just needed a job to help me get started in the corporate world. I had a lot of friends from college who already had three or four years of experience,  and I was starting fresh. So getting my foot in the door at first was unnerving and challenging. But it all worked out for the best.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Safety Erik Totten, 2002”