I read your book and couldn’t stop laughing and crying. You have a Forrest Gump type of life.


How did/does stuttering affect you as a player/entrepreneur? In High School, College and in the NFL, my teammates in football never treated me like an outcast. I was their teammate and I had a job to do. I have always said, “Actions speak louder than words!” Never did I get teased, treated differently or ridiculed by my coaches or teammates. We were like a family and everyone was very protective of me and my privacy.


What has it inspired you to research/write about? Why did you decide to write an autobiography?


The original purpose of writing my book was to present my experiences with stuttering and dyslexia. I had a speech and reading impediment as a little boy. I stammered, stuttered and read words backwards. I learned that my thought process was much faster than my speech and reading process. I, like thousands of other kids and teenagers, also experienced bullying because of my issues. I even had educators not believe or understand my issues due to the lack of education on these two subject matters. That was why I was told that I would never amount to anything by some of my teachers.


You said that most of your teachers were not helpful? What did you mean by that? I really don’t blame anyone for my issues. Growing up in the 1970’s most educators were not trained or taught about special needs children. Their solution was to have all the special needs children in one class. It was a terrible idea and it failed. Only in the 1980’s is when they started to discover ways to help people like me. When I was a kid, educators, friends and other adults laughed at me and told me I couldn’t follow my dreams.


I thought it was important to present my story in a light- hearted way. So, I decided to write about stuttering, but I also wrote about my adventures and funny stories about growing up in Long Branch, New Jersey. I continued to write more humorous chapters in my autobiography. Even though I stuttered, I didn’t let it define me as a man. I was being defined by the way I handled myself as a true gentleman and friend to all. Stuttering helped me to be more compassionate and understanding of others that were different.


I can’t get over that you beat death 3 times in your young life. Do you feel like a cat with nine lives? Stuttering wasn’t my only battle. I also fought meningitis while I was in college, cancer at age 24 and one other life-threatening illness. My autobiography looks at the positive ways and the achievements I have because of the things I had to overcome in my life. It’s filled with lots of humor and adventure.


How is your stuttering today? What do you do to control or manage it, if anything?


I can control my speech issues. In front of a crowd, I am flawless. In front of two people, I may struggle a little. It’s when I let my guard down and stop concentrating. For years I also had to battle being dyslexic. Reading words backwards. Thank God I had a strong mother who helped me fight that battle.


What are the biggest challenges stuttering has presented to you?


Although I am fluent in front of a lot of people, the one on one meetings are tough. That’s why I have never secured an agent. Talent agents have never taken a chance on me. They pass on me. I know it’s because of my speech and many have told me that straight to my face. I respect them for being honest but I don’t respect them as business people. If they had the courage like I did, they would see past the obvious and take on the challenge. I have always helped people. That is what we’re all here for, to help one another.


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