May 20, 2024 • 15 mins
Alan Faneca sits down with Rob King to talk about his football career and more
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
All right, Alan. First of all, you grew up in
New Orleans. I know you wound up going to school
high school in Houston. Had you always wanted to go
to LSU? Was at a dream for you?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Always was, always was, And you know, I didn't quite
realize that when I was going through the recruiting process
because I was that close to going to Alabama literally
committed to him the day before and was sitting in
my room, had told the LSU coach it was recruiting me.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Chewed me out, you know. I hang up the phone
and I'm in my room. I'm like, man, I just.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Got chewed out. And I sit there and I'm looking
in my room. And when you're a kid, I don't
know about you, but I had posters and shirts and things
pinned all over my wall. And then I started counting
the LSU things and I hit twenty something and I
just stopped counting and.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Said, what am I doing? And changed my mind.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
The twenty sixth pick in the first round, the Pittsburgh
Steelers select a guard from Louisiana State University, Alan Fanica.
So you were drafted by the What were your thoughts
about being dropped?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Boy?
Speaker 1 (01:02):
This year is how familiar were you with things like
snow when you got that.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
I had no personal connection with snow.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
You know, new Pittsburgh was up north. Knew about the
football side of Pittsburgh and what they were about, uh,
but knew nothing about Pittsburgh as a city.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
So you know, that was really one of my first things.
I was like, have you been to Pittsburgh? You know somebody?
You know, I was asking people if anybody knew anything
about Pittsburgh. But you learn fast when you come up
here what the city is about. You know, even before uh,
mister Rooney satus down and had had a meeting with
all the incoming rookies and you know, just to tell
(01:39):
you a little bit about the city. And it's it's
just a great, great tradition to sit in a meeting
with him and and hear those things. Uh, but just
to learn about the city and just kind of see,
you know, where you're taking your life. Right all of
a sudden, you know, somebody calls your name and your
life just changed and it's not your decision, but it's
an exciting moment.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
What was the moment like and what did somebody call
you on the phone?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yes, yes, you know, the Steelers called me, and you know,
it was just a crazy moment. You know, all my
family and friends, you know, we had the typical draft
party kind of thing that you can imagine a family
and friends just there for the moment and just just
to share it with everybody, and you know, to get
(02:23):
that phone call. I was kind of oblivious to everything
I was going with the moment. I was just so
excited and not really paying attention to what was happening
in the draft or on TV. And all of a
sudden it hit we hit like pick twenty. I was like, whoa,
We're at pick twenty. What's going on here? And then
I started paying a little more attention and then you know,
next thing, you know, I get the phone call.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
So a quick step back before moving forward. You're one
of three million Americans that have epilepsy. Was that something
you did? I don't know if you ever reflected upon
that when you got to the NFL, But was that
something you had to overcome along the way?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
It was?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
It was I was diagnosed in high school and you know, really, uh,
you know, back then, this is pre internet, pre you know,
information at your fingertips, right, this is you know, encyclopedia days.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
So, you know, we you go sit down with the
doc and you find out all this information, and you know,
once you get past all of the real questions, how
does this affect.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
My life as a human being?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
You know, then you get to the you know, what's
your passions and how does this affect sports?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I love sports growing up? Uh and football.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Right, running around, tackling, putting on helmets, hitting people. And
he said, go tackle, you know, go chase your dreams.
And he said it so fast. I asked the doc.
I was like, you know what football is, right, doct like,
you know, you know what I'm signing up for? And
he said yeah, he said you just go do it.
And I never asked again and I just kept going.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So early years for the Steelers, the Steelers don't make
the playoffs first three seasons. So what was it like
then when you do make the playoffs and get all
the way to the AFC Championship game in oh one.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Man, so special. Man.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
One of my most favorite moments as a player is
in the tunnel before that AFC Championship game and just
the crowd. You could feel the crowd in your chest, right,
You're just feeling that you're standing out there, they're waiting
for it. Normally they call my name and I'm gone, like,
let's go play ball. I'm going, but I just paused. Man,
it was just like and I had a little moment.
(04:20):
I was like, this is what I've been waiting for.
This is what I'm here to do in the NFL,
for these games, these moments you run out the crowd
and you know our fans are always going crazy, but
that day was extra special. Crazy, right, they know the
big games and big moments that the towels were in
the air, and I was like, this is what I'm
here for.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Before we get to the Super Bowl that you won.
Along the way, you start collecting all pro recognition, Pro Bowls?
What was that like as a player to get that,
you know, that feedback from your peers and from others
that you're elite.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
It's pretty special. You know, you're always chasing you know,
every player's out there. How do I improve my game?
How do I get better? You know you're kind of
taking those steps, like like I was in my earliers, right,
You're you're trying to be better than you were yesterday
and the week before and the year before and you know,
to finally get that, you know, when you get your
first one, your first Pro Bowl. You know, I can
(05:18):
remember right before coach Kauer announced that, Russ Groom comes
up and sneaks behind me at practice after we called
it up and kind of whispers in my ear and
says congratulations.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Man.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
It just you know, chills, man, just chills to have
finally get that recognition that you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
And that to be in that group, that class, you.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Know, to take that a step further. You know, I'm
out in Hawaii and you're at that first meeting, right
both teams are in the meeting room. They're kind of
telling you what's going on this week, and you look
around and you're like, there's Jerry Rice, and you know,
there's so and so and this person, and you're just like, man,
I'm in the room with these guys. Man, this is awesome.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I don't know how much hitting you did, but when
you think about those two there's offensive lines and those
there's defensive lines, you know, Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith
and the guys in the outside, James Ferrier, what was
it like in practice? Did you guys do a lot hitting?
You did that help you make you better.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Oh man.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
We were always grinding and always trying to make each
other better, especially during training camp. You know, just always
trying to improve each other, work on each other. You know,
we knew how to take care of each other, but
at the same time, we knew how to push each other.
And you know, especially you know, certain weeks, certain players.
You know, you knew when guys were amping up because
they had a big challenge in front of maybe they
(06:33):
were going against somebody that week. So it was always
always good to practice against each other.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Man.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
I think we always made each other better and didn't
just kind of coast through ready for Sunday, right, We
were trying to get better as we got there.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
One of the things that happened during your career was
the beginning of two great rivalries against the Patriots, unfortunately
coming up short a couple of times with the Ravens too.
What were those rivalries like, both of them, because they're
both different obviously the Ravens were divisional opponents.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah, I mean, you know that was that was the
prime game in the NFL during during my playing days, right,
that was you know, you looked at the calendar at
the schedule, the schedule release, and you didn't even have
to look, right, you knew that it was gonna be
Thursday night or Sunday night or Monday night. Those were
the only three possibilities that they were going to put
both of our games on because they wanted us prime
time because we brought playoff football. Even if it was
(07:25):
in August or you know, October, they knew it was
going to be that intensive a game and the nation
was going to be watching. And that's kind of setting
the tone.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
You know, when people look back at the Raven Driver.
I think some of the players now talk about the
respect and stuff, but it seemed tingeent a little bit
of dislike back in the day.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Sure, sure, I think everything had a little tinge of
dislike back in the day.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Right.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
That's kind of how football was a little a little
more so back then, right, there was. But you know,
at the end of the day, you know, we can
sit down with those guys and talk about some of
those games and those moments, and you know we can
we can we can look back and relish those things
and enjoy it and uh, you know, kind of chuckle
a little bit about how we were on each other
and so mad at each other in the moments, and
(08:06):
you know, and what at the end of the day, Right, it's.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
A game, right, so great running attack in those days.
What was that like to impose your will on other teams?
I've heard lineman saying that's there's nothing better than that.
Did you feel that way?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
I did? I did? You know?
Speaker 2 (08:19):
To be drafted the Pittsburgh with an organization and a
team right that had that mindset. I'm so lucky for that, right,
Like you could go to a run and shoot offense
and just kind of, you know, fade away as an
offensive lineman for what I love to do. So it
was so special to be a part of that, and
to come to a team that you know, was you know,
(08:43):
it's third and one, we're gonna go get that yard.
We're gonna run through you. Right, That's our mentality and
that's what we always built on. Right, that's we come
into training camp and we're setting that tone in that
mindset for that.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
You knocked in the door, No one, you knocked on
the door.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
O five.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
What was it like to finally break through the door
and win the Super Bowl?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Man chasing it for years? Like you said, right, like
It's like the culmination of everything, everything in Pittsburgh. And
then personally, I'm sure everybody kind of reflects on their
journey differently, but you know, I always reflect on it, like, man,
this is my football life, right, this is like pee
wee nerve.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Football in my front yard.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You know, all those years in junior high and high
school ball, in college and in my years in Pittsburgh,
of chasing it and trying to get to it, right,
and all of a sudden, here you are. You're in
the big dance and you win it. Right, there's no
way we weren't winning that game. And just I've got
this picture of me holding the trophy and I'm screaming,
and you know, the confetti's all falling around me, and
(09:40):
there's something special. Man, I get I get chills just
thinking about it. When, especially when I look.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
At it, when you are named to an All decade team, what.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Is that like? So cool?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Right? Because you look at those, right. I don't know
about everybody, but you know, when you're in football, you
kind of look at those those you know, they make
those little montage pictures of the guys and you see
the list and it's you know, to being one of
those those pictures, right, those little montage pictures of those guys.
It's pretty special. You know, you're kind of you when
(10:14):
you start getting a couple of those Pro Bowls and
all pros, you know, you're kind of you kind of
start chasing those things and you start pushing yourself a
little bit further to be in those kind of places.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
When you look back at your career, what do you
look back at most? Is there anyone? I mean, do
you sit back with your head in the pillo at night,
look up at the ceiling and think about your teammates
the Super Bowls? What do you think about?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Man?
Speaker 2 (10:38):
You know, I think you think about teammates first, Man,
I think about the locker room, goofing off in the
locker room and having fun with the guys, and so
many guys you got a chance to meet and call
friends and still call friends. You know, I think about
you know, anytime I walk into a game. I go
to a college game, we go to a Pittsburgh game, Right,
just to think that you did this for a living, Right,
(10:58):
there's eighty something thousand people here screaming their heads off,
whether they like it or hate you, Right, but you
got to do it for a career and do it
for a living and support your family. And it's just
an amazing thing to be able to go out there
and do and do do something you're that passionate about
and have fun.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
To me, you should have been a first ballot Hall
of Famer. I'm not sure why you weren't. I'm not
sure if you know why you weren't. But what was
it like to kind of not be a first ballot
Hall of Famer? And then what was it like when
you got I assume a phone call.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
It was frustrating. You know, it gets frustrating. You know,
they do the production show and they bring your family
to the Super Bowl and you know, so you're getting ready,
you're waiting for the knock, and your kids are running
around the room because they know what's happening, and you know,
you're getting dressed for the NFL Honors show, and so
it's a little tense. And you know, you do that
(11:50):
a couple of years in a row, and you get
the phone call instead of the knock, you know, it
starts to wear onne you a little bit. It starts
to wear on the kids, I think in the family
even more. You know, it's kind of like they're trying
to console me, but I'm trying to console them. And
let's just move on from this and keep moving forward.
It's gonna happen when it When it happens, you know
when I did. I did get the knock, you know,
when when David Baker came and knocked on my door.
(12:12):
But it was at the house, uh, you know, during COVID,
so we didn't have to go sit in the hotel room.
We were at the house and actually kind of surprised me.
So uh, it was it was nice, it was special.
I was just ready for it. You know, you miss
you miss out on the opportunity for a couple of
years there, and you know, I think I told David.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
I was like, let's go. I'm ready, let's let's do it.
I was just ready to be a part of it.
You look great.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
What was behind the weight loss and the decision to
run a marathon too?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I always said, I always told people, always told my
wife Julie, I said, you know, when I'm done, I'm
gonna lose the weight and if it sticks, it sticks,
it doesn't, it doesn't, I'm gonna give it a shot.
You know, I probably shouldn't be three hundred and twenty
five pounds the rest of my life. So when I
decided to retire, I just put my head down and
you know, got after it.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
I figured, you.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Know, I'm not training for football anymore, but I could
put my head down and use that same attitude and
train and lose the weight and put it off. And
the day I hit thirty pounds, I'm playing with my
daughter on the floor and I just kind of got
up and I didn't do, as I call it, the
old man or it's like a lineman, the big guy grunt, right,
you kind of like push off, you know. But I
(13:26):
just kind of stood up, and I was like, well
that was nice. We got something good here.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
I like this.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
So it's a slim trim. Alan Fannick putting on the
gold jacket. Why did you choose hinz Borg to give
your induction speech?
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Alan and I were always be tied to the hip
Super Bowl forty. I love him, I love his family.
I love what he means to the city of Pittsburgh
and how he represents the Pittsburgh Stealer organization.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Just so much man, so much competitive passion and drive
between the two of us. Uh being teammates for so long.
You know, I've said it a couple of times and
I usually get a chuckle out of people when I
say it. But you know, there's offense, an offensive lineman
and a wide receiver being able to push each other
(14:15):
and challenge each other. Just doesn't sound it doesn't sound
like it fits right. It just doesn't. It doesn't fit up.
But but it does it does. You know, we had
that kind of relationship as teammates and uh, that's it.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
He was the one you coached.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
What was that like? Did you like enjoy coaching?
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I enjoy coaching.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
You know, it's it's fun to kind of get down
there and find the kids at their level, right and
and find what they what they're working on, what they're
what they're in it for. Uh, it's a fun game.
And football gives back so much, uh build so much
character and to kind of get down on the ground
grass grassroots level and and be a part.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Of that and kind of, you know, help a young man.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Grow as a per from beginning the end of the
season or their high school career and as a player.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
This a pretty special thing to be a part of
as a coach.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
I'm sure it's pretty special with the players too, and
special to catch up with you as well. Allen, thanks
very much.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Thanks
All right, Alan. First of all, you grew up in
New Orleans. I know you wound up going to school
high school in Houston. Had you always wanted to go
to LSU? Was at a dream for you?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Always was, always was, And you know, I didn't quite
realize that when I was going through the recruiting process
because I was that close to going to Alabama literally
committed to him the day before and was sitting in
my room, had told the LSU coach it was recruiting me.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Chewed me out, you know. I hang up the phone
and I'm in my room. I'm like, man, I just.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Got chewed out. And I sit there and I'm looking
in my room. And when you're a kid, I don't
know about you, but I had posters and shirts and things
pinned all over my wall. And then I started counting
the LSU things and I hit twenty something and I
just stopped counting and.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Said, what am I doing? And changed my mind.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
The twenty sixth pick in the first round, the Pittsburgh
Steelers select a guard from Louisiana State University, Alan Fanica.
So you were drafted by the What were your thoughts
about being dropped?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Boy?
Speaker 1 (01:02):
This year is how familiar were you with things like
snow when you got that.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
I had no personal connection with snow.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
You know, new Pittsburgh was up north. Knew about the
football side of Pittsburgh and what they were about, uh,
but knew nothing about Pittsburgh as a city.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
So you know, that was really one of my first things.
I was like, have you been to Pittsburgh? You know somebody?
You know, I was asking people if anybody knew anything
about Pittsburgh. But you learn fast when you come up
here what the city is about. You know, even before uh,
mister Rooney satus down and had had a meeting with
all the incoming rookies and you know, just to tell
(01:39):
you a little bit about the city. And it's it's
just a great, great tradition to sit in a meeting
with him and and hear those things. Uh, but just
to learn about the city and just kind of see,
you know, where you're taking your life. Right all of
a sudden, you know, somebody calls your name and your
life just changed and it's not your decision, but it's
an exciting moment.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
What was the moment like and what did somebody call
you on the phone?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yes, yes, you know, the Steelers called me, and you know,
it was just a crazy moment. You know, all my
family and friends, you know, we had the typical draft
party kind of thing that you can imagine a family
and friends just there for the moment and just just
to share it with everybody, and you know, to get
(02:23):
that phone call. I was kind of oblivious to everything
I was going with the moment. I was just so
excited and not really paying attention to what was happening
in the draft or on TV. And all of a
sudden it hit we hit like pick twenty. I was like, whoa,
We're at pick twenty. What's going on here? And then
I started paying a little more attention and then you know,
next thing, you know, I get the phone call.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
So a quick step back before moving forward. You're one
of three million Americans that have epilepsy. Was that something
you did? I don't know if you ever reflected upon
that when you got to the NFL, But was that
something you had to overcome along the way?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
It was?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
It was I was diagnosed in high school and you know, really, uh,
you know, back then, this is pre internet, pre you know,
information at your fingertips, right, this is you know, encyclopedia days.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
So, you know, we you go sit down with the
doc and you find out all this information, and you know,
once you get past all of the real questions, how
does this affect.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
My life as a human being?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
You know, then you get to the you know, what's
your passions and how does this affect sports?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I love sports growing up? Uh and football.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Right, running around, tackling, putting on helmets, hitting people. And
he said, go tackle, you know, go chase your dreams.
And he said it so fast. I asked the doc.
I was like, you know what football is, right, doct like,
you know, you know what I'm signing up for? And
he said yeah, he said you just go do it.
And I never asked again and I just kept going.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So early years for the Steelers, the Steelers don't make
the playoffs first three seasons. So what was it like
then when you do make the playoffs and get all
the way to the AFC Championship game in oh one.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Man, so special. Man.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
One of my most favorite moments as a player is
in the tunnel before that AFC Championship game and just
the crowd. You could feel the crowd in your chest, right,
You're just feeling that you're standing out there, they're waiting
for it. Normally they call my name and I'm gone, like,
let's go play ball. I'm going, but I just paused. Man,
it was just like and I had a little moment.
(04:20):
I was like, this is what I've been waiting for.
This is what I'm here to do in the NFL,
for these games, these moments you run out the crowd
and you know our fans are always going crazy, but
that day was extra special. Crazy, right, they know the
big games and big moments that the towels were in
the air, and I was like, this is what I'm
here for.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Before we get to the Super Bowl that you won.
Along the way, you start collecting all pro recognition, Pro Bowls?
What was that like as a player to get that,
you know, that feedback from your peers and from others
that you're elite.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
It's pretty special. You know, you're always chasing you know,
every player's out there. How do I improve my game?
How do I get better? You know you're kind of
taking those steps, like like I was in my earliers, right,
You're you're trying to be better than you were yesterday
and the week before and the year before and you know,
to finally get that, you know, when you get your
first one, your first Pro Bowl. You know, I can
(05:18):
remember right before coach Kauer announced that, Russ Groom comes
up and sneaks behind me at practice after we called
it up and kind of whispers in my ear and
says congratulations.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Man.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
It just you know, chills, man, just chills to have
finally get that recognition that you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
And that to be in that group, that class, you.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Know, to take that a step further. You know, I'm
out in Hawaii and you're at that first meeting, right
both teams are in the meeting room. They're kind of
telling you what's going on this week, and you look
around and you're like, there's Jerry Rice, and you know,
there's so and so and this person, and you're just like, man,
I'm in the room with these guys. Man, this is awesome.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I don't know how much hitting you did, but when
you think about those two there's offensive lines and those
there's defensive lines, you know, Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith
and the guys in the outside, James Ferrier, what was
it like in practice? Did you guys do a lot hitting?
You did that help you make you better.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Oh man.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
We were always grinding and always trying to make each
other better, especially during training camp. You know, just always
trying to improve each other, work on each other. You know,
we knew how to take care of each other, but
at the same time, we knew how to push each other.
And you know, especially you know, certain weeks, certain players.
You know, you knew when guys were amping up because
they had a big challenge in front of maybe they
(06:33):
were going against somebody that week. So it was always
always good to practice against each other.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Man.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
I think we always made each other better and didn't
just kind of coast through ready for Sunday, right, We
were trying to get better as we got there.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
One of the things that happened during your career was
the beginning of two great rivalries against the Patriots, unfortunately
coming up short a couple of times with the Ravens too.
What were those rivalries like, both of them, because they're
both different obviously the Ravens were divisional opponents.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah, I mean, you know that was that was the
prime game in the NFL during during my playing days, right,
that was you know, you looked at the calendar at
the schedule, the schedule release, and you didn't even have
to look, right, you knew that it was gonna be
Thursday night or Sunday night or Monday night. Those were
the only three possibilities that they were going to put
both of our games on because they wanted us prime
time because we brought playoff football. Even if it was
(07:25):
in August or you know, October, they knew it was
going to be that intensive a game and the nation
was going to be watching. And that's kind of setting
the tone.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
You know, when people look back at the Raven Driver.
I think some of the players now talk about the
respect and stuff, but it seemed tingeent a little bit
of dislike back in the day.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Sure, sure, I think everything had a little tinge of
dislike back in the day.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Right.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
That's kind of how football was a little a little
more so back then, right, there was. But you know,
at the end of the day, you know, we can
sit down with those guys and talk about some of
those games and those moments, and you know we can
we can we can look back and relish those things
and enjoy it and uh, you know, kind of chuckle
a little bit about how we were on each other
and so mad at each other in the moments, and
(08:06):
you know, and what at the end of the day, Right, it's.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
A game, right, so great running attack in those days.
What was that like to impose your will on other teams?
I've heard lineman saying that's there's nothing better than that.
Did you feel that way?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
I did? I did? You know?
Speaker 2 (08:19):
To be drafted the Pittsburgh with an organization and a
team right that had that mindset. I'm so lucky for that, right,
Like you could go to a run and shoot offense
and just kind of, you know, fade away as an
offensive lineman for what I love to do. So it
was so special to be a part of that, and
to come to a team that you know, was you know,
(08:43):
it's third and one, we're gonna go get that yard.
We're gonna run through you. Right, That's our mentality and
that's what we always built on. Right, that's we come
into training camp and we're setting that tone in that
mindset for that.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
You knocked in the door, No one, you knocked on
the door.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
O five.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
What was it like to finally break through the door
and win the Super Bowl?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Man chasing it for years? Like you said, right, like
It's like the culmination of everything, everything in Pittsburgh. And
then personally, I'm sure everybody kind of reflects on their
journey differently, but you know, I always reflect on it, like, man,
this is my football life, right, this is like pee
wee nerve.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Football in my front yard.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You know, all those years in junior high and high
school ball, in college and in my years in Pittsburgh,
of chasing it and trying to get to it, right,
and all of a sudden, here you are. You're in
the big dance and you win it. Right, there's no
way we weren't winning that game. And just I've got
this picture of me holding the trophy and I'm screaming,
and you know, the confetti's all falling around me, and
(09:40):
there's something special. Man, I get I get chills just
thinking about it. When, especially when I look.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
At it, when you are named to an All decade team, what.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Is that like? So cool?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Right? Because you look at those, right. I don't know
about everybody, but you know, when you're in football, you
kind of look at those those you know, they make
those little montage pictures of the guys and you see
the list and it's you know, to being one of
those those pictures, right, those little montage pictures of those guys.
It's pretty special. You know, you're kind of you when
(10:14):
you start getting a couple of those Pro Bowls and
all pros, you know, you're kind of you kind of
start chasing those things and you start pushing yourself a
little bit further to be in those kind of places.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
When you look back at your career, what do you
look back at most? Is there anyone? I mean, do
you sit back with your head in the pillo at night,
look up at the ceiling and think about your teammates
the Super Bowls? What do you think about?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Man?
Speaker 2 (10:38):
You know, I think you think about teammates first, Man,
I think about the locker room, goofing off in the
locker room and having fun with the guys, and so
many guys you got a chance to meet and call
friends and still call friends. You know, I think about
you know, anytime I walk into a game. I go
to a college game, we go to a Pittsburgh game, Right,
just to think that you did this for a living, Right,
(10:58):
there's eighty something thousand people here screaming their heads off,
whether they like it or hate you, Right, but you
got to do it for a career and do it
for a living and support your family. And it's just
an amazing thing to be able to go out there
and do and do do something you're that passionate about
and have fun.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
To me, you should have been a first ballot Hall
of Famer. I'm not sure why you weren't. I'm not
sure if you know why you weren't. But what was
it like to kind of not be a first ballot
Hall of Famer? And then what was it like when
you got I assume a phone call.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
It was frustrating. You know, it gets frustrating. You know,
they do the production show and they bring your family
to the Super Bowl and you know, so you're getting ready,
you're waiting for the knock, and your kids are running
around the room because they know what's happening, and you know,
you're getting dressed for the NFL Honors show, and so
it's a little tense. And you know, you do that
(11:50):
a couple of years in a row, and you get
the phone call instead of the knock, you know, it
starts to wear onne you a little bit. It starts
to wear on the kids, I think in the family
even more. You know, it's kind of like they're trying
to console me, but I'm trying to console them. And
let's just move on from this and keep moving forward.
It's gonna happen when it When it happens, you know
when I did. I did get the knock, you know,
when when David Baker came and knocked on my door.
(12:12):
But it was at the house, uh, you know, during COVID,
so we didn't have to go sit in the hotel room.
We were at the house and actually kind of surprised me.
So uh, it was it was nice, it was special.
I was just ready for it. You know, you miss
you miss out on the opportunity for a couple of
years there, and you know, I think I told David.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
I was like, let's go. I'm ready, let's let's do it.
I was just ready to be a part of it.
You look great.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
What was behind the weight loss and the decision to
run a marathon too?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I always said, I always told people, always told my
wife Julie, I said, you know, when I'm done, I'm
gonna lose the weight and if it sticks, it sticks,
it doesn't, it doesn't, I'm gonna give it a shot.
You know, I probably shouldn't be three hundred and twenty
five pounds the rest of my life. So when I
decided to retire, I just put my head down and
you know, got after it.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
I figured, you.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Know, I'm not training for football anymore, but I could
put my head down and use that same attitude and
train and lose the weight and put it off. And
the day I hit thirty pounds, I'm playing with my
daughter on the floor and I just kind of got
up and I didn't do, as I call it, the
old man or it's like a lineman, the big guy grunt, right,
you kind of like push off, you know. But I
(13:26):
just kind of stood up, and I was like, well
that was nice. We got something good here.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
I like this.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
So it's a slim trim. Alan Fannick putting on the
gold jacket. Why did you choose hinz Borg to give
your induction speech?
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Alan and I were always be tied to the hip
Super Bowl forty. I love him, I love his family.
I love what he means to the city of Pittsburgh
and how he represents the Pittsburgh Stealer organization.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Just so much man, so much competitive passion and drive
between the two of us. Uh being teammates for so long.
You know, I've said it a couple of times and
I usually get a chuckle out of people when I
say it. But you know, there's offense, an offensive lineman
and a wide receiver being able to push each other
(14:15):
and challenge each other. Just doesn't sound it doesn't sound
like it fits right. It just doesn't. It doesn't fit up.
But but it does it does. You know, we had
that kind of relationship as teammates and uh, that's it.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
He was the one you coached.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
What was that like? Did you like enjoy coaching?
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I enjoy coaching.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
You know, it's it's fun to kind of get down
there and find the kids at their level, right and
and find what they what they're working on, what they're
what they're in it for. Uh, it's a fun game.
And football gives back so much, uh build so much
character and to kind of get down on the ground
grass grassroots level and and be a part.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Of that and kind of, you know, help a young man.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Grow as a per from beginning the end of the
season or their high school career and as a player.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
This a pretty special thing to be a part of
as a coach.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
I'm sure it's pretty special with the players too, and
special to catch up with you as well. Allen, thanks
very much.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Thanks
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