Tag: Steelers

First, tell me a bit about what you’ve been doing since your time in the NFL?

Well, I coached in the CFL for 18 years. After I was cut by the Steelers, I played in the CFL for three years for Calgary. After that I broke my arm and that ended my career. I got a job after that coaching in the CFL as a secondary coach.

I came back to the states in ’96 and started teaching and coaching football. I did that until I was 65 and then retired here in the Villages in Florida.

How hard was the post NFL adjustment for you?

Well, as I like to say, life just dropped in my door. I just got opportunities I was grateful for and was able to make the most of what I did. I really enjoyed the CFL. It was a passing league which was much more fun playing safety.
Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Safety Dennis Meyer, 1972-1973”

First, tell me a bit about how your career got started in Pittsburgh?

I’ll always be thankful for my brief time in Pittsburgh. I spent two years in San Diego but it didn’t end well. I’d point the blame on ownership there but it’s been 50 years now.

I pulled my hamstring in San Diego and it nagged me going into my third year.  They put me on waivers but I wasn’t picked up. I think what happened was I went back that third season into camp in San Diego and asked to negotiate a new contract. I started six games the year before before the hamstring injury and came back to start the last game of the season.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Chuck Dicus, 1973”

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

Well I worked in government for many years after I retired from the NFL – for the housing authority here in Houma, Louisiana. Before that I worked for Union Pacific Railroad. Now, I’m just retired and collecting my NFL pension. I’m hoping they give us a raise in our pension with the new CBA!

How difficult was the post-NFL transition for you?

The transition was a bit difficult. I didn’t leave on my own terms. I went to Detroit after I left Pittsburgh in 1988 and in a preseason game versus the Rans, I broke my collarbone and punctured a lung after taking a hit. My blood pressure rose sky high. So that was it for me – I didn’t get to leave the game on my own terms.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Troy Johnson, 1988”

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

I have a six-year old daughter first of all.

I owned my own group home at risk youth, but recently sold that. I taught for seven years as well but it got real difficult teaching because my short term memory is bad now. It was too tough keeping up with the youth and rigors of the work. After that I became a security guard at a high school for a while.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Wide Receiver Lenzie Jackson, 2001-2002”

From the cotton fields surrounding Clarksdale, Mississippi, to football sidelines on Chicago’s South Side, Roy Curry left an impression. First as one of the top college quarterbacks during his day and then as coach at Robeson High School.

Summing up his career and life well-lived would be – Nice Guys Finish First.

A record of 240-104 from 1969 to 2000, put him in the Illinois Coaches Hall of Fame. Generous with his time and wealth of knowledge, Curry still receives calls from coaches, who have sought counsel on game strategy and handling teenage problems for over five decades.

Continue reading “Roy Curry: Nice Guys Finish First – by Seth Schwartz”

First, can you let me know about all the things you’ve bene doing lately?

I’m doing a couple of things. I’m working with my training program  working with young people to develop their physical mental and emotional skills. It’s important that kids know that training is not just about the physical stuff – a big part of being an athlete is dealing with the emotional and mental parts of the game. So I work with them on that.

I’m also doing speaking engagements and looking to get my book published and doing podcasts as well. I have lots of irons in different things – and I coached for Fox Chapel last year and imagine I’ll be doing that again as well.

It’s been a great road I’ve been on. I like to think of it as me recycling my career! Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Director of Player Personnel Anthony Griggs, 1992-2005”

First, let me know what you’re up to and what your working on now?

Well,  before taking the XFL head coaching job I was  doing stuff for the media.

For Sunday Night Football  was looking at game films of the teams before the game and creating a teaching tape on the offenses and defenses of both teams looking at player tendencies and matchup problems. Showing why the left tackle gets beat if they drop their hands etc. I send the tape to the Executive Director Frank Gaudelli who distributes it to his staff and Collinsworth and Michaels. I know Michaels couldn’t care less about the tape but the other guys appreciate it. I’d give them examples so that when those things happen in the game Chris can talk about it.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride, 1999-2000”

First, you’ve been bust since your time n the NFL. Tell me a bit about some of the things you’e bee involved in and how you got involved in them?

Well, I’m he head coach at Pinecrest Academy in Georgia. It’s a private school – Single A. And I’m having fun watching my kids grow. I have a daughter in college and a son in high school. It’s been busy and fun being a coach and a dad.

As a coach, anyone influence the way you’ve approached coaching? How so?

I always knew I wanted to coach. I was offered to stay on after year 12 with the Falcons as a coach but I felt I had more time left playing. And Cowher asked me if I wanted to coach after year 13 but I wanted to play still. Of course, that didn’t happen either. The idea of coaching kept pulling me back though.

Continue reading “Exclusive with former Steelers Wide Receiver Terance Mathis, 2002”

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

Now, I’ve started a transportation company – shipping cars nationwide.  I oversee that. I also work with a gym in Columbus, Ohio that I own with a couple of buddies and have a couple of other small business ventures.

My real passion – I’m a big bowhunter and like to work on land management stuff too. I’m really into that – it’s a year-round hobby. Archery too.

I also work for Grosetti Performance – it’s an athletic training center where we train guys from the combine. I’m an offensive line specialist for NFL combine prep. I started doing that last year. It’s my way to keep my football fix going.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Offensive Lineman Mike Adams, 2012-2105”

OK – so tell me a bit about your dad – how did he find out he got drafted by the Steelers?

The day of the draft was my dad’s 21st birthday – in 1955. They did the first two rounds on his birthday and the remaining upteen rounds then afterwards. There wasn’t any draft hoopla then like there is now. He got a call a day or two after the draft – he didn’t even know then he was on the Steelers’ radar. He thought he was going to the Bears or the Rams – his older brother played for the Bears in 1950. He was also being courted by the CFL which drove the prices for players up a bit.

Unfortunately he only played that one season in Pittsburg despite being the n umber five overall pick. What happened?

Back then the College All Star game was played in early August and he played in the game with the rest of the best Seniors then. They played the Cleveland Browns who were the NFL champions – and he dislocated his shoulder in the game making a tackle.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Doug Davis, Son of 1956 Steelers Running Back Art Davis”