Tag: Steelers

So first off, what have you been up to since you stopped playing football?

I played my last game with the Arena League L.A. Avengers then retired in 2001. I’m still out here in L.A. now – I settled down here with my family and started coaching my son who’s now an offensive lineman with the University of Georgia. He was six-years old when I start coaching him. I’ve coached him for 13 years and now he’s in the University of Georgia’s hands – so that’s a big adjustment for me.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Offensive Lineman Earnest Greene, 1995”

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

Well, I’ve worked for 35 years in the financial services industry. I started with Smith Barney and it’s now Morgan Stanley – but I’ve been sitting in the same seat. I’m fortunate – life has bene good to me.

Was the post-football adjustment difficult?

It’s funny – when you first reached out, I thought – who wants to talk to me about playing 50 years ago! I started thinking back to myself – I didn’t accomplish all that I hoped in the NFL. I was converted to a strong safety my rookie year then came back and ended up playing outside linebacker for the Eagles before they cut me too. But looking back, I think maybe God did me a favor. I look at some of those guys now who played a long time, and I see all of their medical issues from playing the game.

It was tough at first – you have goals you set out and then you have to reset them. That takes a while to find out what you want to do next and now you’re behind other people in their careers. But, it ended well for me. It’s been good.

Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Safety John Sodaski, 1971”

First off, exited that the free agency stuff is over with?

I am excited to be done with free agency! It’s similar to being recruited in college, but you’re at the highest point in your career now. I just want to focus now on playing football – I’m excited to get there for OTAs!

Why sign with the Steelers?

It’s a city and franchise with a lot of history. It’s a well-rounded organization from top to bottom – in and outside of football. When I visited there, it felt like I was back at LSU. They care about football deeply. I’m not saying they didn’t in other places I’ve been, but you cn tell throughout the facility that they breathe, eat and sleep football.

When I was meeting with Coach Tomlin – mid-meeting he stepped out and started barking at some of the guys who were working out at the facility. “I love that!” he said. I just wanted to put on cleats then and work out with them!

So for me it’s not “Why did I sign with the Steelers?” It’s more “Why wouldn’t I sign with the Steelers?”

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Defensive Lineman Breiden Fohoko”

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

After I was waived by Pittsburgh,  I did a short stint in Canada, playing for the B.C. Lions. But when I got there I didn’t like the game – I only stuck around for four weeks then I told them it wasn’t for me.

What didn’t you like?

It just wasn’t the same game. Three downs, the field, all the passing. It was a totally different game. I just wasn’t used to it. So I told them I appreciated them bringing me in but it wasn’t going to work out.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Frank Wilson Jr., 1982”

First, can you let us know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL, and how hard that post-NFL adjustment was for you?

Well I’m not doing too much. Just working. That’s it. I sell cases – the kind you see on the sidelines at football games. I’m close to 60 now, so I’m just working that job and holding down the fort!

I went straight to my hometown in Texas after the NFL. So the change wasn’t that big for me. I have lots of alumni at Texas A&M where I went to school that pulled strings for me. I got offered the job through them and that was it. I worked there for 19 years.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Earnest Jackson, 1986-1988”

First off, what have you been up to since you recently retired from football?

The biggest thing is being a father – that’s first and foremost thing. It’s challenging!

I’ve been trying to figure out my next move career-wise. I want to get into the media stuff more – I went to London late last year to work for Sky Sports. I’m just looking to see what fit I can find in the media space – to get an idea of what I can do.

It also hit me though in January – that maybe I should start focusing more on helping people. I got an idea to do just that and started a non-profit recently – The Avery Williamson Reach Foundation. We’re building an event center in my hometown of Milan, Tennessee and we’ll use that for all kinds of events. Weddings, games, cornhole tournaments …We’ll have over 200 TVs in there – it’ll be pretty sick. A mini-golf course…We’ll be able to help children using the event center – we’ll offer courses, work with 4H and the Boys and Girls Clubs and more to offer after school programs to keep children out of trouble and off the streets.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Avery Williamson, 2020”

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

I’m retired now. After football I worked in a bank for a few years and did real estate development at the same time. After a while I did the real estate development full time, developing single-family and multi-family homes, but mostly large apartment complexes. I ended up selling the business after a while and retired and moved to Florida.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Back Stan Smagala, 1992”

First off, can you let us know about the restaurant and what else you’ve been up to since football?

A group of friends and me opened up The Pit BBQ Grille here in Columbus together. One of my friends was my college roommate at Ohio State – Chimdi Chekwa – who was drafted by the Raiders and played for five or so years in the NFL. My other two friends – Mike Johnson and D’Andre Martin are also business partners.

We wanted to bring our Cleveland style of barbecue to Columbus. The recipes are from our family members and made from scratch – we even use our family members’ names on our menu.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Offensive Lineman Bryant Browning, 2013-2014”

First – how did your start go in Pittsburgh?

Well, starting with my season in Pittsburgh, I can say I had a unique experience in Pittsburgh. That was the year of the NFL strike and that year a lot of my fellow draftees, free agents, and veterans who were on the bubble reported to camp in July.

It was very intense – coming from a Lou Holtz coached team at NC State, we had much tougher practices, and even after practices we’d have more in-person work with the coaches. Playing for a pro team was like a dream – it was a very special place to be in and a very unique situation.

Were you surprised to be drafted by the Steelers?

I really was just hoping to be drafted by anyone and make it in the NFL. I got two-to-three calls from Dallas but I was in shock when I got the call from Mr. Rooney and him telling me I was drafted by the Steelers.

It took me and my family by surprise. There weren’t big draft parties then – no big TV draft events. It was just one lone phone call from Mr. Rooney.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Offensive Lineman Rick Druschel, 1974”

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

After I retired I got into flipping houses –  that was before the housing market died down. I’d go into bad neighborhoods and try to work on houses to make sure people had decent homes to live in there. Where you grow up often determines what kind of person you become, and I wanted to help parents give their kids the kind of homes they needed.

As a kid I remember being embarrassed when other kids came to my house. It wasn’t my mother’s fault – she did the best she could – but I still wanted a better experience – a house to be proud of. Well, I tried to help give that to people in those neighborhoods.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Vinson Smith, 1989”