The issue with playing left tackle is that 90 percent of the time, you’re playing against the best athletes on the defensive side of the football.
Before free agency, we always used to tell them it was the most important position on the offensive line because we protected the quarterback and it warranted a higher salary. After free agency occurred, it became obvious we were speaking the truth.
I made five Pro Bowls. I blew out my knee in ’85, and then they kind of forgot about me.
I’ll be honest with you, I think my career warrants serious consideration (1). I think during my era, the premium left tackles were Anthony Munoz and myself.
The problem I have with the Hall of Fame in general is this: It’s an individual honor, but your team’s success is taken into consideration too much. It’s difficult for players who have not played on a championship team to get seriously considered.
I actually think it’s more difficult for a player playing on a poor team to perform at a high level than it is for a player playing on a good or great team because he’s got a better cast of characters to work with.
My career with the Atlanta Falcons, we had four winning seasons in 17, and three of them came in the first five years. I played in more losing football games than anyone in the history of the NFL. Sean Landeta broke that record, but he’s a punter and you can’t count that because he’s just a kicker.
Steve Bartkowski was probably the best pure long passer that I ever played with.
I’ll tell you, William Andrews was, by far, the most fun to block for and really gave you a lot of satisfaction. People don’t realize William was a devastating run- and pass-blocker. The guy only played at 215 pounds, and he was devastating.
I grew up in Evanston, a block-and-a-half from what’s now called Crown Park. Went to Evanston High School. In the early years, it was an old Polish neighborhood.
I grew up in the Dick Butkus era and Ray Nitschke and Ed O’Bradovich, and I was a Bears fan, but I didn’t try to emulate them. My dad was my hero. A man of real character and high conviction.
He was down here for a game (2), and I had a back injury I was playing with. It was one of those injuries that you have to play with. You were in pain all the time. I couldn’t sleep. It was awful. I was losing some weight. it was a high-stress season.
It was my last season, and we were not playing well.
My dad leaves after one game and he told me, “You don’t have to continue to do this.” I said, “Yeah, Dad, I do.” And they were getting on the airplane and he reached up to put his bag in the overhead compartment and dropped over dead on the airplane before they ever left the ground. No prior warning.
No prior history. He died of a massive heart attack. Your best-laid plans to go out in style and allow your family and friends to enjoy it with you–it all just fell apart. So, the ’94 season, my last season, ended up being my worst season.
If you could survive and perform under Bo Schembechler, you were going to be successful, and that’s why so many ex-Michigan ballplayers are.
I am currently the president of an organization called Georgians For Better Transportation. We’re a transportation advocacy group. I’ve been doing that for a little over two years now.
Prior to this, I was the elected chairman of the Fulton Country Board of Commissioners for five years.
The reason why I did it initially is after I retired from the Atlanta Falcons, I learned to love Atlanta and made it my home and my children were born here. I went down the traditional route that a lot of ballplayers do: What can I do to give back to the community?
What have I learned from it? Well, I don’t want to get into the politics of metropolitan Atlanta, but it’s basically like running a billion-dollar corporation.
Anybody who’s in a position for celebrity I really believe is almost obligated to give something back. We’ve been blessed with some exceptional talents by God and we’re 1 percent of the 1 percent that had the luxury of playing professional sports. Whether pro athletes agree with it or not, we can make a difference and we can use our celebrity as a conduit to help people who can’t help themselves.
You get lots of hugs. That’s the great thing about having girls.
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1: For the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
2: In Atlanta during the 1994 season.
