Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!
More than 2,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff PLUS interviews with Pittsburgh actors, musicians, authors and more
First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?
Well, I’m currently the sale manager for a Toyota dealership. I’ve been doing that for four years now. I’m hoping to get back to the NFL as a scout. I did that for 15 years or so. I spoke with my former GM in New Orleans who was associated with the AAF now, but they were still figuring out their scouting process.
Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Safety Cornell Gowdy, 1987-1988”
First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?
Well, I partnered with my brother-in-law to start up a termite inspection company in California. It was a funny thing to jump into I know. It’s what my brother-in-law was doing for the last 15 years but was working for someone else and wanted to be a manger. We were chatting about what to do next after my knee wasn’t healing well enough after my injury for me to play again. We opened our doors last August and we now have 15 guys working for us already.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Offensive Lineman Cody Wallace, 2013-2016”
First, you’ve been the defensive backs coach for Green Bay for a number of years now. Can you tell us how you got started there?
I played for Dom Capers in Houston and he told me then I should coach when I was done playing. After I retired I took a couple of years off then in 2011 I took advantage of an internship opportunity at Green Bay, The next year a new entry level position opened up and I got my feet wet there.
Now, I’m at Carolina, coaching their secondary.
Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Defensive Back Jason Simmons, 1998-2001”
First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing since your time in the NFL?
When you’re done with what you’ve been doing your whole life, it can be daunting finding out what’s next for you. Not everyone walks away from the game with gobs of cash.
Figuring that out was a bit of a challenge for me. It took four years for me to really make it in the NFL so I had some time to prepare for life after football early on. After football I did some interesting work on the TV and radio – everyone wants the next popular player who retires – they jump to the head of the train.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Punter Mark Royals, 1992-1994”
You opted out this year after signing with Jacksonville. What brought on that decision for you?
The reason why is that my wife is pregnant – she’s due in March. My entire season I would have been worried about her – and my daughter too who has asthma. I didn’t feel comfortable – I couldn’t focus on football – I’d have been worried about them both all season.
So that was the reason for opting out. I got a lot going on in my life now still, with kids in school, a pregnant wife – and I have a couple of businesses I’m hands on with too.
Continue reading “Exclusive, Former Steelers Defensive Lineman Al Woods, 2010, 2011-2103”
First – I feel funny asking you this since you have so much going on all the time, but what is top of mind you want to let folks know about now?
Well, presently I have my weekly radio show during the NFL season on NFL Radio – every Thursday and Friday. The main thing I’m doing though is my work with Pro Football Focus. I help oversee the quarterback grading – every week I grade ever NFL pass – some college players too. That takes up a lot of my time!
You also have some other ventures…
True yeah – I have a restaurant called Social in Toledo and Pilgrimage Hospice in Pittsburgh. I started the hospice while I was still playing. I wanted to give back to the area and the community – it made good sense to me. I wanted to give back to the city I love. My wife is a nurse.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, 2013-2016”
First, let me know what you’re doing with yourself now and how you got involved in that?
After the NFL, I was in a ministry in Seattle but I could sense my time was coming to an end there. I figured I’d just go back into the workforce. It was nothing bad – just sometimes God moves you on to other things. I let the pastor know – he didn’t understand, but I knew it was the right thing.
An idea came to me after that – one my wife and I thought of originally when we were in Idaho 15 years before. It was to work with student athletes. They had a higher level of expectations on them because they had to perform on the field and in the classroom.
My wife and I wrote down some notes on the idea and talked to the schools and pastors in the community to see what resources were available to these kids – many of who had difficult backgrounds. But after a few months we looked at each other and thought – there were so many resources available to them – what could we do?
Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back David Hughes, 1988”
First, can you let us know what you’ve been doing with yourself lately?
I’ve been staying busy – trying to get my workouts in and spending time with my family. I train guys too as they get ready for the combine and training camps – I work with a group of guys that call me when they have some guys they want me to work with.
Still want to coach?
I’ll tell you, I still feel like I can coach. I feel great and follow the game to keep my mind sharp. If somebody wanted me I think I could help. I feel that way still – I love the game and have a lot left to give to the game.
First, can you let me know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?
Well I stayed in Pittsburgh and ended up working in the penitentiary after I was cut again and couldn’t make a team. At first I worked in construction and did a lot of projects – like the Greentree Mall. But the Winters were pretty lean – in January and February especially they’d lay me off as I was still one of the younger guys there.
A friend of mine told me I should work at the penitentiary so I applied there and ended up working there for 21 years. When it closed down I retired. My wife worked at Allegheny General and we didn’t want to move and I didn’t want to drive to the other penitentiaries they offered me jobs to work at as they were too far away. We had two boys and my work made it easy for me to be around them and be there for my kids. I even coached football at North Catholic for a couple of years.
Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Running Back Jack Deloplaine, 1976-1979”
First, tell me a bit about what you’ve been up to since your time in the NFL – including your Ken Anderson Foundation?
Well, the foundation started about six-to-seven years ago to help adults with Autism. I have a nephew who has autism and he needs care 24/7. So as I was working on going through all the things that it takes to provide that care, for people with Autism, I got a call from the Mayor of Cincinnati who told me about another group that was doing a similar thing for people with Down Syndrome. So we merged and formed the Ken Anderson Alliance.
Now we do over 20 programs a month for over 200 adults – from hockey games and Reds games to dinners and going to the mall.
We also have an aquaponics project where we grow leafy vegetables and have eight people working there, and own three acres where we are building an inclusive community that’s a safe and secure environment for them.