‘The people who want to win the most are the Rooneys': Former Steeler Merril Hoge reflects on team
Hoge sat down with 4 The Record host Michelle Wright for an interview that aired on Sunday
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Updated: 11:30 AM EDT Apr 13, 2025
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FOR THE RECORD, STARTS NOW. WELCOME TO. FOR THE RECORD. THIS MORNING WE CONTINUE MY CONVERSATION WITH FORMER STEELER MERRIL HOGE. LAST WEEK I SPOKE WITH HODGE ABOUT HIS CAREER FROM THE FOOTBALL FIELD TO THE BROADCAST BOOTH, AS WELL AS HIS FRIGHTENING CANCER BATTLE. TODAY I SPEAK WITH HIM ABOUT HIS NEW CAREER PATH AS A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER, STARTING WITH WHERE HE FINDS HIS INSPIRATION. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO YOU FOR INSPIRATION THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE, THROUGHOUT YOUR FOOTBALL CAREER. WHAT YOU DEALT WITH WITH YOUR CONCUSSIONS AND REGAINING EVERYTHING THAT YOU LOST THROUGH THAT, AND THEN YOUR BATTLE WITH CANCER, YOU DECIDED TO WRITE A BOOK. WHY WAS THAT SO IMPORTANT TO YOU? WELL, I GOT A CREDIT. A GUY NAMED CHARLIE LAVALLE IN THIS COMMUNITY, IN THIS AREA, THAT NAME WILL PROBABLY RESONATE WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE, BECAUSE THAT GUY IS A SERVICE GUY. HE’S DONE MORE GOOD. HE’S DONE MORE FOR THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH. AND TO BE A NATIONALLY BECAUSE HE WAS A BIG PART OF WHAT’S CALLED THE CHIP PROGRAM. THE CHIP PROGRAM MAY NOT SOUND FAMILIAR TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT IT’S AN INSURANCE PROGRAM THAT’S A NATIONAL PROGRAM THAT WAS STARTED IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, WHEN ALL THE STEEL MILLS GOT SHUT DOWN. THERE WAS A PREACHER THAT WENT TO THE HIGHMARK CEO. CEO CAME TO MR. ROONEY, AND THEY’RE LIKE, WE HAVE ALL THESE FAMILIES THAT DON’T HAVE INSURANCE. THEY CAN’T INSURE THEIR KIDS. THERE’S NO INSURANCE FOR ADULTS. THEY’VE LOST THEIR JOBS. WE’VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP THEM. SO WE CREATED, I SHOULD SAY, THEY CREATED THE CARING TEAM MYSELF AT CARNELL LAKE WERE PICKED BY MR. ROONEY TO BE THE CAPTAINS OF IT. WELL, WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT PROGRAM BECAME SO POPULAR AND SO BIG AND AND AND SO GOOD. THE GOVERNMENT TOOK IT AND BECAME A NATIONAL MODEL. SO WE LOST OUR OUR PURPOSE. AND THEN HE CREATED THE CARING PLACE, WHICH IS. HERE. THERE’S ONE DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH, NORTH HILLS, ERIE AND HARRISBURG. AND THAT IS A GRIEVING CENTER FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE. AND THAT RESONATED WITH ME BECAUSE I LOST MY MOM AS A KID. AND THE GRIEVING PROCESS IS ARDUOUS. IT IS LONG AND IT IS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYBODY. AND TO HAVE A SANCTUARY THAT YOU CAN GO TO TO HELP FAMILIES THROUGH THAT. I MEAN, EVERY AGE MOMS, DADS AND IT’S A VALUABLE ASSET IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND THERE’S LARGELY DUE TO BECAUSE OF HIM AND THE VISION THAT HE HAS HAD TO SERVE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY. IT’S HELPED SO MANY PEOPLE HERE. YOUR BOOK IS CALLED FIND A WAY, AND YOU SAID YOUR DAUGHTER KIND OF HELPED INSPIRE THAT BY CHALLENGING YOU. TELL ME HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THE TITLE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? WELL, I ACTUALLY CAME UP WITH THE WORDS AT AGE 12. I, A TEACHER, COMES INTO CLASS ONE DAY. I’LL NEVER FORGET IT. SHE WALKS IN, SHE GOES, EVERYBODY PUT THEIR STUFF DOWN. STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING. I’M ABOUT TEN, OKAY? SHE SAYS EVERYBODY NEEDS TO HAVE GOALS AND DREAMS IN THEIR LIFE, AND YOU NEED TO WRITE THEM DOWN AND PIN THEM UP IN YOUR ROOM, BECAUSE IT’S WHERE YOU START AND END YOUR DAY, MAN, IT HURTS. AND I KEEP IN MIND I HAD JUST SEEN THERE’S FOOTBALL ON TELEVISION A COUPLE YEARS EARLIER AND I HAD I WAS GOING TO PLAY IN THE NFL BECAUSE THAT WAS LIKE IN MY HEAD. AND I WAS LIKE, OH, THAT’S THE GREATEST THING I EVER HEARD. I GO, THAT’S SMART. BUT I’M LIKE, I GOT A PROBLEM. I GOT A LITTLE BROTHER, I SHARE A BEDROOM, I GOT A BUNK BED. I CAN’T PUT ANYTHING UP ON MY WALL BECAUSE HE’LL TEAR IT DOWN. THAT’S WHY I PRAY THAT HE WOULD DISAPPEAR. SO I WAS LIKE, I DON’T MEAN I DIDN’T LOVE HIM. I WAS LIKE, I HAD MY OWN BEDROOM. IT SHOULD BE SO MUCH BETTER. AND SO I USED TO LAY AT NIGHT AND GO AND DAYDREAM ABOUT THE ONE THING I WOULD WANT IN MY BEDROOM LIKE I’D NEVER SEEN BEFORE. AND I WAS LIKE, I’D WANT A WALL OF CAULK, BECAUSE I’D JUST. THAT IDEA THAT SHE GAVE ME WAS LIKE, SO COOL, BECAUSE I HAD ALL KINDS OF GOALS. WELL, THEN MY DAD ANNOUNCES A COUPLE YEARS LATER THAT THE CONCRETE BASEMENT THAT WE USE AS OUR PLAYGROUND DURING THE WINTERTIME IN IDAHO, WE’RE GOING TO CONVERT IT TO BEDROOMS, A FAMILY ROOM AND AN OFFICE SPACE. THE GOOD NEWS WAS ONE OF THE BEDROOMS WAS GOING TO BE MINE. SO I WAS LIKE, CAN YOU MAKE ME A WALL OF CAULK? HE’S LIKE, WHY? AND I WAS LIKE I EXPLAINED. HE SAID, WE’LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. SO I GOT TIME ON MY HANDS. I WRITE DOWN ALL MY GOALS. ROOM GETS DONE. I WALK IN, THERE’S HALF A WALL OF CAULK. IT’S NOT AN ENTIRE WALL, BUT IT’S BIG ENOUGH. I JUMP UP, PIN ALL MY GOALS UP, AND I’M LOOKING AT I WILL PLAY IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, HAD THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS A PICTURE OF THEM. WALTER PAYTON WAS MY FAVORITE PLAYER. HAD A PICTURE OF HIM. I MEAN, THAT’S INCREDIBLE. AT TEN THAT WAS ON YOUR GOAL WALL AND YOU DID IT. YEAH I MEAN NOW KEEP IN MIND PEOPLE GAVE ME THE IDEA TO DO THIS. I DIDN’T COME UP WITH IT BECAUSE WHEN THE TEACHERS I’M SO I’M SO GRATEFUL FOR PEOPLE. THAT’S WHY, YOU KNOW, I’M A PRODUCT OF A LOT OF PEOPLE. THEY’VE INSPIRED ME. THEY’VE CHALLENGED ME. WITHOUT PEOPLE, I FIND HOPE IN PEOPLE. SO THAT’S WHY, YOU KNOW, THE GAME OF LIFE IS IMPORTANT TO ME. BUT AS I’M SITTING THERE LOOKING AT IT NOW, KEEP IN MIND, HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME EVERY TIME THEY GO, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU GROW UP? I GO, I’M GONNA PLAY IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. YOU KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS. WITH THE ODDS OF YOU PLAYING IN THE NFL. OH, DON’T PUT YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET, SON, OR THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE. THAT’S ALL I’D EVER HEAR. BUT THAT’S WHY I JUST LOVE. I SEE THINGS THROUGH A CHILD’S EYES MORE THAN MOST ADULTS. BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO ENCOURAGE ME WERE THE FIRST ONES TO DISCOURAGE ME. AND IT IT JUST SPEAKS TO THE RESILIENCY OF KIDS, BECAUSE NONE OF THAT FAZE ME. BUT I WAS LOOKING AT IT AND I WAS REVISITING IT. I WAS THINKING ABOUT ALL THOSE THINGS. THAT’S ALL I’D EVER HEARD. THE THE, THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THE HEAVIER IT BECAME. AND FOR A MOMENT, LIKE WORDS ON A WALL. AND THEN I WAS LIKE, NO, WAIT A MINUTE. I DIDN’T WRITE THAT TO BE WORDS ON A WALL, LIKE I WANTED TO ACHIEVE THAT. THAT’S WHY I DID IT. AND THAT’S THE FIRST, LIKE, MOMENT OF TRUTH THAT I HAD IN MY LIFE. LIKE, I OPENED MYSELF. I COMMITTED TO THAT GOAL. I WAS LIKE, WHATEVER WORKS REQUIRED, I’M DOING IT. WHATEVER ODDS, I’M I BEAT HIM. I’M PUTTING ALL MY EGGS IN THOSE BASKETS BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO DISAPPOINT MYSELF. AND IT WASN’T IMPOSSIBLE. I’VE BEEN WATCHING PEOPLE DO IT, AND THAT’S THE FIRST TIME WITHIN THAT PROCESS BECAUSE MY ENERGY CHANGED. I GOT MORE EXCITED AND JUST THE WORDS FIND A WAY TO POP INTO MY HEAD. AND THEN THEY WOULD THEY WOULD IGNITE A JOURNEY. THEY WOULD SPARK SO MANY THINGS FOR ME. STILL TO THIS DAY, THEY RESONATE. STILL. THIS DAY. I HAVE THEM ON MY WALL BECAUSE IT CHALLENGES ME TO DO THE ONE THING THAT WE ALL MUST DO. I DON’T CARE WHAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE IS. I DON’T CARE WHAT YOUR CHALLENGES, YOUR GOAL, OR YOUR DREAM LIKE. TAKE ACTION. LIKE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I MEAN, I THINK EVERYBODY’S SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT YOUR RESULTS WILL BE IF YOU DO NOTHING. BUT IF YOU DO SOMETHING, YOU GOT A GOOD CHANCE OF A GETTING TO WHERE YOU’RE GOING OR LEARNING ABOUT SOMETHING YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED HAD YOU NOT TAKEN THE JOURNEY. AND FROM THAT DAY ON, I JUST THOSE WORDS JUST IGNITED ME. THEY THEY MADE THEY GAVE ME HOPE. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I EVER FOUND HOPE IN WORDS, AND THEY RESONATED WITH ME. THEY CREATED AN ENERGY IN ME. THEY SPARKED THINGS THAT I WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT OF. AND WHEN I WHEN I WAS SITTING IN A CHEMOTHERAPY CHAIR GOING BACK TO CHARLIE OF THE VALLEY, WHO HAD COME TO SPEND ONE OF THE DAYS WITH ME, AND I WAS TELLING HIM ABOUT THAT, AND HE’S THE ONE THAT CHALLENGED ME TO WRITE THE BOOK. I WOULD NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT WRITING A BOOK. AND THEN WHEN I SAID, CHARLIE, LISTEN, IF I SURVIVE, I’LL WRITE YOUR BOOK. THAT’S ALL. I JUST LEFT IT AT THAT. AND A YEAR LATER, HE CALLED ME UP AND HE SAID, REMEMBER THAT BOOK? AND I WAS LIKE, MAN, THEN THAT TOOK ME FIVE YEARS. A GUY WHO CAN HARDLY DOESN’T READ VERY WELL. I’M LIKE, IF I COULD WRITE A BOOK, I SHOULD GIVE HOPE TO EVERYBODY. IF I CAN WRITE ONE. WELL, YOU’VE HAD QUITE A JOURNEY. WELL, A LOT OF THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT. THAT’S WHAT. THAT’S WHERE IT CAME FROM. AND THAT’S WHAT IT TURNED INTO. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER NOW YOU GO AROUND AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE BY SHARING THE TRAUMATIC EVENTS IN YOUR LIFE. HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? WELL, AS LONG AS THIS HAS HAPPENED, I GOT ASKED THIS HERE JUST RECENTLY. LIKE, WHAT’S YOUR GOAL? WELL, I ALWAYS HAVE. THE CLIENT HAS A GOAL, SO I TRY TO MEET THEIR GOAL AND I’M LIKE, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, I DO HAVE A GOAL. I HAVE, I HAVE A REASON FOR THE MESSAGE. AND HERE IT IS. IF I GET DONE SPEAKING AND THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT ME, I DID A REALLY BAD JOB. BUT IF THEY’RE THINKING ABOUT THEMSELVES, THEN I DID A GOOD JOB. BECAUSE FIND A WAY IS ABOUT WHAT’S POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE. IF THEY TAKE OWNERSHIP, THEY CONTROL THIS. YOU KNOW, THEY START A PROGRAM. PATTERNS AND HABITS THAT WORK FOR THEM ON THEIR JOURNEY, AND THEY APPLY IT AND THEY STAY COMMITTED TO IT. A RELENTLESS COMMITMENT TO THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVING A RELENTLESS COMMITMENT TO SOMETHING IS A CHOICE. FIRST, A PATTERN AND A HABIT THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED AND DEVELOPED BY ANY HUMAN BEING AND APPLIED TO ANYTHING. THE KEY IS NOT WANTING IT. IT’S THE RELENTLESS COMMITMENT OF EVERY DAY WANTING IT. AND WHEN YOU DO THOSE TYPE OF THINGS IN YOUR LIFE, LIKE YOU JUST ARE ENERGIZED BY, I’M IN CHARGE OF WHERE I’M GOING, YOU KNOW, AND THAT REQUIRES YOU TO DO IT EVERY DAY. THAT MEANS ON THOSE ARDUOUS, TOUGH DAYS, YOU PLOW THROUGH THOSE DAYS, THE MORE YOU LEARN HOW TO PLOW THROUGH THOSE DAYS, THE EASIER THOSE DAYS BECOME. THE MORE IN CHARGE YOU ARE. AND YOU FULFILL YOUR JOURNEY, AND YOU FULFILL YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND YOU TAKE ON YOUR CHALLENGES WITHOUT FEAR. AND WHEN I SEE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT AND THEY RECOGNIZE THAT, I’M LIKE, THAT’S IT. IT’S ABOUT ME. IT’S ABOUT WHAT IS WHAT YOU POSSESS, WHAT YOU’VE SHOWN US THAT IT IS POSSIBLE. WELL, THAT IS PART OF THE MESSAGE IS LIKE IT CAN BE DONE. AND I GO BACK TO MY PRODUCT OF A LOT OF PEOPLE. I SHARE CHUCK NOLL STUFF. I SAW WALTER PAYTON STUFF. I SHARE ARISTOTLE STUFF. HAD I NOT LEARNED FROM ALL THOSE PEOPLE, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I GOT. I GOT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. I’M LIKE, MAN, IT MIGHT BE AN EMPTY MESSAGE, BUT WITH THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE CHALLENGED ME, I HAVE LEARNED FROM IT. AND THEN I APPLIED IT TO MY LIFE THE WAY I SEE FIT, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE, IS YOU DON’T DO HOW I DID IT. YOU DO IT HOW YOU FEEL. YOU NEED TO DO IT HOW IT WORKS FOR YOU. AS LONG AS YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING AND YOU’RE BEING PROACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE TO STUFF, I WANT TO ASK YOU, AS WE WRAP UP, DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE FOR STEELER FANS THAT HAVE FOLLOWED YOUR CAREER THROUGH 1987? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY TO THEM? WELL, I WILL I WHEN I SAY THEY ARE THE MOST GENUINE, THEY’RE THE BEST FANS IN FOOTBALL. I DO THAT FOR TWO REASONS. NUMBER ONE, I NEVER WON A SUPER BOWL. I’M NOT A HALL OF FAMER. AND HERE’S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE STEELER FAN. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ASK? THEY ASK YOU TO GIVE EVERYTHING YOU GOT. THAT’S ALL THEY ASK. AND I ALWAYS I WAS LIKE, HOW ARE THESE GUYS LIKE SO APPRECIATIVE. YOU KNOW, WE LOST OR YOU KNOW, WE DIDN’T WIN A SUPER BOWL. AND THEY KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. DO THEY EXPECT AND WANT A SUPER BOWL. ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT IS THE STANDARD WE DID. THAT’S HOW I PLAYED. THAT’S THE REASON I PLAYED IT AS A KID. I ONLY ENVISIONED ONE THING ME BEING INTRODUCED TO THE SUPER BOWL AND WE WIN THE SUPER BOWL. THAT’S HOW I ENVISION THINGS ALL THE TIME. THAT’S ALL I ENVISIONED. I NEVER ENVISIONED MONDAY NIGHTS OR SUNDAYS EVER, AND I ALWAYS RESPECTED THAT. ABOUT THE FAN. WHEN I NOW WENT TO ESPN AND WORKED WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT GUYS AND DIFFERENT SPORTS, LIKE EVERYONE WOULD SECRETLY SAY, HEY, STEELER FANS, THEY’RE THE BEST. SO THAT’S AN UNSOLICITED RESPONSE. BUT I, YOU KNOW, I WALK, I’LL WALK AROUND THIS CITY. IT DOESN’T ACTUALLY, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE I GO, WHICH I ACTUALLY PINCH MYSELF BECAUSE WHEN I CAME HERE, I WAS FROM POCATELLO, IDAHO. IT’S ONLY THE SECOND FLIGHT I’D EVER BEEN ON WHEN I LANDED HERE. I’D NEVER BEEN IN A CLIMATE LIKE THIS. I THOUGHT, OH, THIS IS WHERE THEY FILMED TARZAN MOVIES, BECAUSE I’D NEVER SEEN ROLLING HILLS AND ALL THIS STUFF. RIGHT? AND I WAS LIKE, I KNEW NOBODY. I WAS SO LOST. I WAS SO HOMESICK. NOW THERE’S NOT A PLACE I CAN’T GO IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES THAT I WON’T KNOW SOMEBODY THAT’S NOT A STEELER FAN. AND I FEEL COMPLETELY AT HOME. STEELER FANS ARE GOING TO APPRECIATE THIS INTERVIEW, BUT THEY’RE GOING TO COMPLAIN. IF I DON’T ASK YOU ABOUT THE CURRENT TEAM. ONE LINE ON HOW WE CAN DO BETTER NEXT SEASON. WELL, I ALWAYS GO BACK TO WHAT THEY THEY HAVE. THAT IS CONSISTENT AND I BELIEVE IN THEM MORE NOW THAN EVER BECAUSE I’VE BEEN AROUND THE LEAGUE, ALL THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, YOU JUST HAVE GREAT OWNERSHIP, YOU GOT GREAT LEADERSHIP AT THE TOP. TEAMS WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS. YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT JUST COACHING. IT’S NOT JUST PLAYERS. IT’S THE COMBINATION OF ALL OF IT. AND THE ONE THING THE CHIEF DRAFTED ME, I PLAYED. FOR MR. ROONEY. I’VE WATCHED ART AND DAN ROONEY JR GROW UP TO BE THE TYPE OF OWNERS THEY ARE TODAY. HERE THE PRINCIPLES ARE THE SAME. THEY DO IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. BUT THE ONE THING THAT’S CONSISTENT IS THEY DON’T REACT TO THINGS, THEY RESPOND TO THINGS AND PEOPLE THAT RESPOND. THEY TAKE INFORMATION IN, THEY GATHER THINGS. THEY LOOK AT THINGS. THEY EVALUATE BEFORE THEY DEPLOY SOME TYPE OF ACTION. YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT AN EMOTIONAL REACTION WHERE THEY FIRE EVERYBODY AND MOVE EVERYBODY AROUND, BECAUSE THAT HAS SHOWN THAT DOES NOT ALWAYS WIN. I KNOW CHANGE IS SOMETIMES IMPORTANT, BUT I’VE ALWAYS RESPECTED HOW THEY HAVE WENT ABOUT DEPLOYING THINGS, LOOKING AT EVERYTHING AND THEN MAKING DECISIONS TO MOVE FORWARD. AND LET ME TELL YOU THIS, THE ONE THING ABOUT ALL OF THEM, THEY ARE LETHAL. THEY MIGHT BE SILENT, BUT THEY THEY ARE VERY DECISIVE. THEY’RE VERY POIGNANT. AND THEY WANT TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP. DON’T THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WIN IT THE MOST ARE THE ROONEYS? DON’T EVER UNDERESTIMATE THAT. THEY ARE NOT OKAY WITH MEDIOCRITY. THEY ARE NOT OKAY WITH LOSING. THEY ARE NOT OKAY WITH THAT. THEY ARE THE ONES WHERE IT STARTS AND ENDS AND THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT. AND BECAUSE THEY’RE STILL IN CHARGE, THEY WILL ALWAYS BE FIGHTING FOR A SUPER BOWL CHAMPION AND DOING THE THINGS THAT WILL HELP THE ORGANIZATION DO. THAT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE THAT UP TO THEM. WELL, IT’S IT REALLY STARTS AND ENDS WITH THEM, BUT THEY HISTORY TELLS YOU THAT THAT OWNERSHIP THREE COACHES IN SOME 60 YEARS THEY HAVE SIX SUPER BOWLS. OKAY. I KNOW THERE’S A LOT OF TEAMS THAT WOULD JUST LIKE TO ONE HAVE WON SUPER BOWL. OKAY? I MEAN THAT THAT’S PERSPECTIVE FOR US. YEAH. BUT THAT’S NOT I MEAN BUT THAT’S NOT AN EXCUSE EITHER. IT DOESN’T LIKE WELL YOU KNOW WE’RE GOOD. AND SO YOU CAN KEEP DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING. THAT’S WHAT I’M SAYING. THE ROONEYS DON’T LOOK AT IT LIKE THAT. THEY’RE LIKE WE WANT SEVEN. HOW DO WE GET SEVEN. WHAT’S THE THINGS THAT WE GOT TO DO. AND THEY LOOK AT EVERYTHING. THEY EVEN LOOK AT THEMSELVES. SO IT ISN’T LIKE YOU KNOW, JUST COACHING AND PLAYERS. ALL OF THAT IS IMPORTANT. I THINK THEY REFLECT FIRST ON THEM AND THEN THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH ALL THE OTHER AREAS THEY NEED TO IMPROVE ON. WE’LL SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. WE APPRECIATE YOUR INSPIRATION AND WE LOVE FOLLOWING YOUR CAREER ALL THE WAY THROUGH. YOU’RE THE BEST, MICHELLE. THANK YOU. KEEP IT HERE ON FOR THE RECORD. COMING UP, A LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT YOU DIDN’T SEE FROM MY RECENT INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR DAVID NEWELL. WELCOME BACK TO FOR THE RECORD, LAST MONTH YOU SAW MY INTERVIEW WITH DAVID NEWELL, THE ACTOR WHO PORTRAYED MR. MCFEELY ON MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD. HE AND I SPOKE FOR QUITE A WHILE AT THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER. SO LONG, IN FACT, THAT WE COULDN’T FIT IT ALL INTO THAT HALF HOUR. SO I WANTED TO BRING YOU PART OF THE INTERVIEW. YOU DIDN’T GET TO SEE THAT SUNDAY MORNING. TAKE A LOOK. WHERE DID THE SWEATER TRADITION COME FROM? OH, I KNOW HIS MOTHER KNITTED. AND EVERY CHRISTMAS SHE WOULD KNIT A SWEATER FOR HIS SISTER. COUSINS. ET CETERA. AND FRED. AND HE WOULD GET THESE SWEATERS, AND HE COLLECTED THEM, AND HE HAD ABOUT 4 OR 5 WHEN HE WENT WHEN THE AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, I’LL, I THINK I’LL USE THE SWEATER. AND THAT WAY IT’S A SYMBOL TO HIS. HE COMES IN, TAKES HIS COAT OFF, PUTS ON A SWEATER, WHICH IS A SYMBOL FOR. PLAY CLOTHES, IN A WAY. PUT SNEAKERS ON, WHICH IS SORT OF A SYMBOL OF GETTING TO A CHILD’S LEVEL. AND THEY WERE SYMBOLIC, I THINK, AND THE SWEATER WAS SYMBOLIC. AND OVER THE YEARS SHE KNIT MORE AND AFTER A WHILE HE HAD ABOUT 20 OF THEM. OVER THE YEARS THAT SHE SHE LOVED KNITTING THEM. AND BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS PART OF WHO HIS MOTHER. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THAT FRED NOW THAT I THINK OF IT, IT BROUGHT HIS MOTHER. HE WAS SO CLOSE TO HIS FAMILY AND THAT SYMBOLIZED HIS HIS MOTHER. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE TOM HANKS MOVIE? I KNOW YOU MADE A CAMEO APPEARANCE IN IT. I THOUGHT HE DID A GREAT JOB. YOU KNOW, HE YOU KNEW IT WAS TOM HANKS, I THINK. BUT HE I THINK HE DID A GOOD JOB OF OF GETTING THE ESSENCE OF FRED. AND I LIKE THE MOVIE. IT. IT IT WAS I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE THINKING IT WAS A CHILDREN’S MOVIE. THEY DIDN’T READ THAT MUCH ABOUT IT. AND THEY WOULD TAKE THEIR KIDS TO IT. AND IT’S NOT REALLY A CHILDREN’S MOVIE UNLESS YOUR KIDS ARE IN THEIR TEENS, BUT IT’S NOT A KIDS MOVIE. I WANT TO ASK YOU THIS HOW MUCH DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO HAVE SHINED SUCH A HUGE SPOTLIGHT ON PITTSBURGH? BECAUSE PITTSBURGH IS VERY PROUD OF HAVING MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD HERE. HOW MUCH DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? BECAUSE EVERYBODY ASSOCIATES PITTSBURGH WITH MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD. WELL, IT MEANS A LOT TO ME BECAUSE GROWING UP, I REMEMBER GOING ON VACATION SOMETIME IN MEETING PEOPLE. AND OF AND THEY WOULD SAY, OH, YOU’RE FROM PITTSBURGH. YOU KNOW, IT ALWAYS HAD THIS SORT OF NEGATIVE. TITLE TO IT. AND I NOW WHAT? I’M SO PROUD NOT ONLY OF THE PROGRAM, BUT IT ORIGINATES WHEN YOU STOP TO THINK OF IT. I THINK IT’S THE ONLY TELEVISION PROGRAM, DAILY TELEVISION PROGRAM THAT CAME FROM PITTSBURGH THAT I KNOW OF. AND AND YOU WERE A PART OF ALL OF THAT? YES. AND. OH, IT YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH IT MEANT TO ME AND STILL DOES BEING ASSOCIATED WITH FRED AND AND WHAT HE DID, YOU KNOW, HAD HE BEEN AN ACTOR AND WAS JUST READING OFF A SCRIPT, THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT. BUT HE WASN’T AN ACTOR. HE WAS A COMMUNICATOR. AND WHAT HE WAS SAYING WAS COMING OUT OF WHO HE WAS AND THE WORDS THAT HE WROTE WERE COMING OUT OF HIM. AND YOU KNEW THAT THAT WAS UNIQUE. I MEAN, IT MADE SO MUCH OF AN IMPRESSION ON ME. AND DON’T FORGET, YOU CAN SEE THE FULL EPISODE FEATURING MY INTERVIEW WITH DAVID NEWELL RIGHT NOW ON. DOT COM, AND THE APP. JUST CLICK THE FOR THE RECORD TAB AND KEEP IT HERE. A LOOK AT WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT WEEK ON FOR THE RECORD, IS RIGHT AFTER THIS. WELCOME BACK. COMING UP NEXT WEEK FOR THE RECORD, SPENDS EASTER SUNDAY BY MAKING A SPECIAL TRIP TO THE PITTSBURGH ZOO AND AQUARIUMS INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION CENTER IN SOMERSET COUNTY. HOST SHANNON PERRINE GIVES US A UNIQUE LOOK AT THE PLACE WHERE ELEPHANTS ARE RAISED. WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT PROCESS, WHAT IT’S LIKE AT THE ICC AND WHY THEY NOW HOUSE THE ONCE NEARLY EXTINCT BISON. HERE’S AN EARLY LOOK AT THAT CONVERSATION. IT’S REALLY WONDERFUL TO BE A PART OF THIS. WE’VE ADDED SOME NEW ANIMALS HERE, SUCH AS THE BISON AND REALLY, WITH A TIE IN TO CONSERVATION BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SPACE THAT WE DO OUT HERE, IT REALLY LENDS ITSELF WELL TO THAT. YEAH, A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT BE ASKING THE QUESTION, WHAT IS THE ICC HERE FOR? SORT OF WHAT’S THE MISSION? I MEAN, YOU HAVE THE ZOO IN PITTSBURGH, BUT IN THIS CAME ALONG, WHAT, 2006. AND IT’S BEEN SORT OF EVOLVING SINCE THEN. BUT WHY WHY HAVE THIS, THIS PLACE HERE IN THE HILLS AND MOUNTAINS OF SOMERSET COUNTY? YEAH. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT’S LOOK AT IT. IT’S JUST ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. BUT IT REALLY LENDS ITSELF WELL BECAUSE OF THE SPACE. JUST REALLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE SPACE HERE. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, LENDS ITSELF WELL, LENDS ITSELF WELL TO PROGRAMS SUCH AS A REINTRODUCTION PROGRAM, MAYBE FOR AN ANIMAL WHO NEEDS A LITTLE MORE SECLUSION, WHO MAYBE NEEDS A LITTLE MORE OF A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT. SEE THIS ALL NEW EPISODE OF FOR THE RECORD, NEXT SUNDAY MORNING AT 1130 RIGHT HERE ON CHANNEL FOUR, AND KEEP IT HERE. THERE’S MORE. FOR THE RECORD, RIGHT AFTER THIS. WELCOME BACK TO FOR THE RECORD, IF YOU HAVE A TOPIC YOU’D LIKE US TO ADDRESS, SEND US AN EMAIL TO NEWS AT DOT COM. YOU CAN ALSO REWATCH THIS EPISODE OR ANY EPISODE WITH THE VERY LOCAL APP ON YOUR SMARTPHONE, TABLET OR SMART TV. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. HAVE A GOOD WEEK.
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‘The people who want to win the most are the Rooneys': Former Steeler Merril Hoge reflects on team
Hoge sat down with 4 The Record host Michelle Wright for an interview that aired on Sunday
Michelle Wright’s 4 The Record interview with former Steeler Merril Hoge continued on Sunday morning, with Wright asking him what he thinks about the current status of the Black and Gold.Hoge said, “I believe in them more now than ever,” while citing what he called “great ownership.”WATCH PART TWO OF MICHELLE WRIGHT’S INTERVIEW WITH MERRIL HOGE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVEHoge said fans should not underestimate the Rooney family and their leadership of the team. “They might be silent, but they are very decisive,” said Hoge. “They're very poignant. And they want to win a championship. The people who want to win the most are the Rooneys. Don't ever underestimate that.”WATCH PART ONE OF 4 THE RECORD’S INTERVIEW WITH MERRIL HOGE BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW
PITTSBURGH —
Michelle Wright’s 4 The Record interview with former Steeler Merril Hoge continued on Sunday morning, with Wright asking him what he thinks about the current status of the Black and Gold.
Hoge said, “I believe in them more now than ever,” while citing what he called “great ownership.”
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WATCH PART TWO OF MICHELLE WRIGHT’S INTERVIEW WITH MERRIL HOGE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE
Hoge said fans should not underestimate the Rooney family and their leadership of the team.
“They might be silent, but they are very decisive,” said Hoge. “They're very poignant. And they want to win a championship. The people who want to win the most are the Rooneys. Don't ever underestimate that.”
WATCH PART ONE OF 4 THE RECORD’S INTERVIEW WITH MERRIL HOGE BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW