Jovon Johnson, Steelers Cornerback, 2006

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First, can you let readers know about your academy and how you got started?

It was something I was inspired to do. I attended camps at an early age and it was very beneficial. But it is very expensive for kids to attend these camps so my goal was to create an affordable camp for kids. We’ve added different events – this year we’re helping mentor the kids – to allow them to express themselves. Sometimes kids have things they don’t want to tell their parents or schools – things like bullying. We give them advice on how to handle things like that.

The academy is also skills and drills for football players. We do a combine style – things kids need to know as they come out of high school and into college. If I had known some of those types of skills earlier that we teach I would have been much better – the  position-specific drills…

We also just also added a parent café to give young parents the opportunity to attend parents workshops. We teach them everything from how to change diapers to handling the stress of being a new parent.

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Heath Miller Retires: See What Steelers Players and Others Have Said About Heath

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Matt Spaeth:Heath definitely. He was and still is a mentor to me. He was the guy. He was a pro’s pro and just did everything right. He was so perfect it almost made you mad! It was great watching the way he conducted himself on the field, the way he took care of his body, the way he handled fame and success, and the way he was as a family man.

He was someone you looked up to. He wasn’t a real vocal guy, but we became good friends. We talked a lot and still do. He wasn’t a very vocal leader. He was a different kind of leader. He led by example. You watched him and knew that was they way you were supposed to do things. And if you asked he would always answer your questions.”

Weslye Saunders: “I couldn’t have gone to a better organization. There were so many veterans. Heath Miller was the guy – there was no better guy. He knew what would happen before it happened. He knew I’d hit the rookie wall and knew how I’d handle the complex offense under Arians. He showed me how to handle the anger and rage and keep it on the football field – in-between the lines. He showed me how to focus on every play – no brain farts that get you in trouble.”

Anthony Madison:Toughest in practice were Mike Wallace and Heath Miller.”

Wes Lyons:Heath Miller, David Johnson and Lenard Pope helped me adjust as my position was changed to tight end.”

Rian Wallace: “Heath Miller – I faced him in college and we had some competitiveness there, being in the same draft class and competing against him to get off run blocks.”

Jonathan Dwyer: “Heath Miller weirdly – I followed him around everywhere he went. It was weird because he wasn’t at my position – but I just loved how he worked. How he brought a lunchbox attitude. We saw each other and spoke every day – he became a good friend too.”

Mike Schneck:Now, Heath Miller perpetuates that today. I had to train the players to go up and talk to the families at fist, but now every year they see those families pulling up they go and sign autographs and talk to them.

Heath Miller and {Steelers Community Relations Manager} Michele Rosenthal have been great in carrying this on – I owe them a big thanks.”

Martin Nance: “Heath Miller.  He made me feel welcome from day one.  He’s such a high character guy and he and his wife were great supports for my wife and I as we adjusted to the city.  I can’t say enough about the respect I have for Heath.”

Danny Coale: “I worked out with Heath Miller and Ike Taylor and they didn’t care if I was a practice squad guy or not. They were there to teach and mentor.”

Trevor Moawad, IMG: “A good time was watching Heath Miller, Alex Smith and Chris Spencer singing Jimmy Buffet songs at karaoke with Miller playing guitar. It was a classic moment. Miller was a special guy. A real great character guy.”

Jamie McCoy: “Heath was awesome – I guess you can say he was a player from my position who really helped me. It wasn’t anything more than what he did for the other guys. He was just a standup dude. He was there for you if you had any questions.”

Zach Gentry: “It was awesome being around him.  He helped me a lot at the combine to get ready. He’s a heck of a guy. We had some fun talking about the fact we both transitioned from quarterback to tight end and what that was like  -the different obstacles we had to face to make that transition.”

Patrick Bailey: “. Heath helped me off the field. He and Hokie were family men. They showed me how to be there for my kids while playing in the NFL.”

David Paulson: “I got tips from Heath – he was great helping me out. And working on drills every day. “

Chris Rainey: ” James used to lift three times a day – that was too much for me. I did everything Heath did. Hard work – I worked hard all of my life.”

Ravens LB Jarrett Johnson: “Heath Miller may have been the best all-around tight end I ever faced. “

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Steve Meilinger, Steelers Tight End, 1961

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First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing with yourself these days!

Well, now that I’m retired I spend a lot of my time on the golf course. I do that about two to three days a week. I also like to garden and anything else that keeps me occupied.

After you retired from the NFL, you joined the US Marshals Service and were one of the original agents for the United States Federal Witness Protection Program. How did that come about?

I was a US Marshal for twenty years. I had to retire at an early age – you had to because it was hazardous duty so you have to retire at 55. I thought I’d never take another job after that, but after six or seven months at home I took a job with the state as a property evaluation officer.

At the time you either had to go to college or have police work in your background to get a Marshal job. But my father-in-law was big in politics and had a friend who was a U.S. Marshal. They had a vacancy, so my father-in-law went to talk to the Washington representative to get me in. There were two other applicants but you couldn’t be over 40 years old and that made both of those applicants ineligible. I got the job and was happy to have it!

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Dedrick Roper, Steelers Linebacker, 2005

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First, can you let readers know what you’ve been doing since you’ve retired from the NFL and how you got started in these new ventures?

After returning home to California the cost of gasoline was nearly five dollars a gallon and the spotlight was on our foreign oil dependency. I immediately sold my SUV and decided I was going to focus my life and life’s work on being more sustainable. Since that decision I have had the opportunity to work on numerous electric vehicle ventures. I co-founded an electric bike and scooter business, led design efforts for an electric bike share system, and managed multiple shared electric car projects. My goal is to help as many people move cleaner and greener as possible.

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Steelers Players Quotes from PSDB Interviews on New HOF’ers Kevin Greene and Tony Dungy

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Kevin Greene:

Jim Miller: “We had Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd as outside linebackers on that team. I always felt like games were easier than practice after having to block those two guys all week.”

Brentson Buckner: “I was playing next to a future Hall of Famer in Kevin Greene. I just needed to go in a become a piece of the puzzle.”

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Matt Bahr, Steelers Kicker, 1979-1980

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First, can you let readers know how you got into your “second career” after the NFL?

Well, I don’t know if it was my second career. I enjoyed what I was doing – I was going to school at night in the offseason and worked during the day. All the jobs I had I enjoyed. I was en electrical engineer and developed products for radio stations. I owned and operated radio stations and used the products to make them sound better for stations around the world.

I’m out of that now. When I was fired for the last time from the NFL things didn’t change much. Except now I had my Falls free. I continued working..

I’m now involved in the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University. We are independent, though funded by the NFLP. It’s a study like no other.

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Barron Miles, Steelers Cornerback, 1995

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First, can you let readers know about your coaching career – how you got started and why you enjoy most about it so far?

I have been coaching now for six years and I love every minute of it. It is time-consuming but worth it. I began coaching right after my last year of playing which was 2009 and I haven’t looked back since.

Ever since high school I knew I wanted to coach.  I viewed all the sports as a chess game. I looked for weakness and strengths and it all came natural to me. I enjoyed dissecting a game of any sport. I played for as long as I could and in he process I did scouting and player evaluations. I wanted the coaching world to see I was serious. I have four Grey Cup Rings. Two as a player and two as a coach. I’m currently coaching for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as defensive Backs coach and looking for my fifth ring.

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Greg Hawthorne, Steelers Running Back/Receiver, 1979-1983

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

Well, when I retired I went back to school to get my teaching certificate. I probably will go into coaching. I started a couple of other businesses too – just trying to stay busy. I’m still in Texas – I went back to Baylor and, thirty years later, I’ll get my degree one week before my son does!

How hard was the post-NFL adjustment for you?

I think being in the league for nine years – playing as long as I played ….. it was hard to find a way to stay busy. My wife is still in Pittsburgh and my son will graduate from Duquesne. I drove a semi for eight years. It helped me to be able to see my kids – I could take the truck and leave any time. One went to school in Michigan too so it helped keep me going. It would have been hard to keep traveling to see them otherwise.

I also had some drug issues. I regrouped – got myself back together. I try to stay busy still. I don’t need to work but I want to. I think I’m qualified to coach. I’ll stay here in Texas – I have a cousin who is a head coach. I’d like to do something that got me here in the first place.

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Tyler Palko, Pitt/Steelers Quarterback, 2009

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First, can you let readers know what you are doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?

Well,  I got to spend five years in the NFL fulfilling a childhood dream. I had good parents – it all started there, My dad was my high school coach and he told me I had a chance to go to college for free – that I should take advantage of that. Which I did.. I have s dual degree from Pitt and got a chance to play in the NFL. My dad said that at some point my NFL career will end – I needed a fallback plan. I took advantage of some internships though the NFL. I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I felt I could have the most impact working on leadership development and was introduced to the CEO of the company I work for now, Buddy Hobart at Solutions21. My thoughts on leadership were pretty much aligned with the business. .

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Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, Steelers Safety, 2010-2014

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First, can you let readers know what you are doing with yourself now?

I’m working out and staying healthy. I’m still a free agent. Right now I’m working with high school kids – I’ve been hosting a kids skills camp for about two weeks now. It’s for local area kids and semi-pro guys looing to live the football dream. The main focus is on the high school kids, working on seven-on-sevens, which is big now. I’m trying to help keep them active in the offseason. Giving  back to the community – and I can taking this experience with me when I’m done with football.

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