Tag: Steelers

First off, what’s the off-season looking like for you?

I’m staying here in Pittsburgh. Being from Germany, I don’t have any family here so I’ll train here then visit home for 10 days. I’m just staying in shape and staying ready for next season, using the Steelers facilities to stay ready.

What have coaches told you to work on?

They told me to stay in shape. My goal is to have more of an impact on special teams. That’s how you get those last spots on the active roster. So I’m fine-tuning those skills. Danny Smith told me he has a plan for me at OTAs. I’m not sure what that will be though.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Linebacker Julius Welschof”

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

I’ve been married to 20 years now and have two boys – one in college at Oregon and the other is 13.  I met my wife when I moved to the U.S. when I was 10 – I knew her since I was a kid.

I’m a firefighter now – I’m a captain here in Washington – I was promoted to captain about a year ago.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Cornerback B.J. Tucker, 2003”

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

I’m in North Liberty, Iowa now. I’m married and raising four kids – we’re busy!

I am a chiropractor now – I started four years after football. I went to chiropractor school in Iowa and started my second career. We have two other chiropractors besides me as well as a massage and physical therapist. I started it by myself at first and did all of it on my own, but now we have support staff and other providers. I’m trying to keep people on the field – that’s the goal!

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Mike Humpal, 2008”

First off, what’s the plan now?

Right now I’m just still rehabbing. My situation with the Steelers – I tore my hamstring in OTAs and had to sit out camp. That’s why I was cut.

I got an opportunity to play in the CFL for B.C. – they were looking at me since I was in college at Tulane. I went up there for 30 days but to be honest my hamstring still wasn’t there yet. I decided to wait for an opportunity in the Spring in the NFL or USFL so I can come back in full health for those workouts in the Spring.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Duece Watts, 2023-2024”

First off, what have you been doing with yourself since you stopped playing?

Right now I’m just enjoying my downtime. I’m a high school coach and a teacher here in Sweeney, Texas. I’m just gearing up for another football season!

As a coach, were there coaches and coaching lessons that impacted you most? And how?

You can always learn from somebody. I’ve taken a piece of something from everyone and incorporate that into what I do now. Even going back to my playing days. One of my first coaches was Bill Cowher when I was in Kansas CIty – there are certain aspects I take from him – his high energy and enthusiasm.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Linebacker Tracy Simien, 1989”

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

Currently, I’m working for Marathon Petroleum. I moved to Indianapolis here in May and work in the transportation and logistics division and manage everything in this region. We have three operations in Indiana and one in Champaign, Illinois.

How was the post-NFL transition for you?

The initial transition was difficult. At that time I was till trying to figure out what discipline I could transition into. This was right after the economic downturn. I relocated home – my dad had just passed away and I wanted to be closer to my mother and siblings. I looked at different opportunities – coaching, scouting…then I thought back to high school.. Back then I had wanted to learn more about manufacturing and oil and gas. The area I am from in Louisiana – we had a lot of oil and gas facilities there. A lot of people we knew worked in those facilities – my dad also worked at a steel mill for a time. So I became interested in the process of making finished products.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers (2010) and Ravens Cornerback David Pittman”

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

I’m doing full-time ministry now. I started off in banking and finance after football but was very active in the church at that particular time. So it seemed like a natural progression.

In the mid-80s everyone stayed with their company forever. It’s funny, when I told my best friend I wanted to talk to him about a change in career and told him I was going into the ministry, he wasn’t surprised. He thought I was going to get into coaching or something. That he said would have been a real surprise!

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Dwyane Hooper, 1985-1986”

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”