Larry Foote will be missed in Pittsburgh

[mesaSteeler]

http://www.examiner.com/x-2703-Pitts...-in-Pittsburgh

Larry Foote will be missed in Pittsburgh
July 2, 10:27 PM · Matt Pawlikowski - Pittsburgh Sports Examiner

DETROIT- Larry Foote made his last appearance as a Pittsburgh Steeler a few weeks ago, when he was presented his Super Bowl ring.

And while there are those who will bash his character, Foote not only was a good player, he was never one to shy away from media questions and cherished his time as a member of the black and gold.

"The type of guys in this locker room – it’s our mentality to be tough-willed and that the most physical team is always going to win," Foote said about being a Steeler. " All of the teams in the league don’t take that approach, but we do. We walk out there with that swagger, with the Black and Gold on, but it doesn’t give us an advantage, it’s just that’s who we are.”

But even more important was what he did in Pittsburgh off the field.

He went into the worst sections of Pittsburgh trying to bring hope to youth who were victims of violence.

"They wouldn't listen to anybody," Adrienne Young, who works with families who have lost young people to violence, told Terry Foster of the Detroit News recently of Foote. "Let me tell you, he had them broken down in tears. It was amazing. Larry Foote made such an impact here. People are still calling asking, will he come back. We don't care about Detroit and Pittsburgh. We loved him. I mean he got out in the streets in the worst part of Pittsburgh."

While Foote's contract status after the Super Bowl drew most of the media attention, there was another side to him that very few knew.

According to Foote, he said that he was caught up living the life of a pro football player, and that suddenly God opened his eyes.

"It happened a year and a half ago and God really opened my eyes," Foote told Foster. "He was really disappointed in me. I was caught up in living the life. I was a typical NFL player. I was not as wild as most or getting in trouble. I was just doing as I pleased. I was evaluating things one night and God just said, 'If you aren't going to do what I called you to do, I don't need you.' "

Foote, who was from inner city Detroit, added this too.

"I went to too many funerals," Foote said. "One night, I was just sitting up and feeling really dirty. I didn't even have a foundation set up, and I am wondering what am I doing? I was helping people but I wasn't doing what I was called to do."

It's what made him head to the Garfield section of Pittsburgh and talk to gangs. Now that he is back in his hometown, Foote has no plans of letting up on his mission.

He wants to open a Charter school in Detroit, and find a new home for an Outreach Ministry that is run by his childhood friend.

Yes, Foote went from being a member of a Super Bowl Champions team, to the worst ever in the Lions. But credit him for what he has been trying to accomplish off the field.

In a day and age when things such as a warrant being issued for the arrest of Cincinnati Bengals running back Chris Perry for tax evasion and the continuing saga of Brett Farve make headlines, its nice to find players such as Foote giving back.

Copyright 2009 Examiner.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[steelreserve]

See, it's things like this that make me wonder what the hell's going on sometimes. How you can be a great, stand-up guy in one phase of your life, and then bitch and moan your way out of town over playing time in the other phase, just doesn't quite add up to me. Ahh well, all kinds of people in the world, I guess.

[HometownGal]

That was a really nice read - thanks!

With some of the egomanics around the NFL, it's great to see that one of our own (formerly) has his head on straight and has a plan for his future - that being to continue to help others who are less fortunate. Larry Foote is a total class act in my book.

[Hammer67]

Well, I look at my job...i work for a huge banking corporation in IT. We have a lot of people who are corporate ladder climbers. Cut throat at work. But, they spend a lot of time with charity and outside the office are a blast to be around.

Work is work, play is play. Some people keep them seperate.

[steelreserve]

Originally Posted by Hammer67

Well, I look at my job...i work for a huge banking corporation in IT. We have a lot of people who are corporate ladder climbers. Cut throat at work. But, they spend a lot of time with charity and outside the office are a blast to be around.

Work is work, play is play. Some people keep them seperate.

I guess, but Foote's contract issue seems a little different than that. It was a totally optional move on his part, and there were certain parts to it that I don't know how they could not involve a guy's overall personality. Just strange to me that there could be such a rigid separation between one part of your life and another, to the point where you're two totally different people.

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by steelreserve

. It was a totally optional move on his part, .

yep, the steelers gave him 2 options-

take a pay cut and ride the bench, or be released.

the steelers werent willing to live up to the contract they signed. i dont see this as him whining his way out of town.

[steelreserve]

Originally Posted by tony hipchest

yep, the steelers gave him 2 options-

take a pay cut and ride the bench, or be released.

the steelers werent willing to live up to the contract they signed. i dont see this as him whining his way out of town.

I didn't see it that way. And I especially don't remember anything at all about a pay cut. I could have missed something, but it seemed more like "Play out the last year of your contract for the amount you signed for, and by the way, you'll have to compete extra hard for playing time. And after this year, you're free to go."

Is that the most positive and reassuring thing for a player to hear? Not really. But the thing is, it's basically a fact of life for 98% of players in the NFL, and if you can't handle it, then yes, you whined your way out of town. Again, I'll tell you to look no further than Deshea Townsend for an example of a guy who handled the same situation in a polar opposite way.

[fansince'76]

Originally Posted by steelreserve

I didn't see it that way. And I especially don't remember anything at all about a pay cut.

I agree - I thought the whole situation revolved around Foote's losing more and more playing time to Timmons rather than a possible pay cut.

[mulldog24]

Originally Posted by fansince'76

I agree - I thought the whole situation revolved around Foote's losing more and more playing time to Timmons rather than a possible pay cut.

totally agree,Timmons was comming on strong last year and allmost beat Foote out last season.

[Preacher]

The guy wants to play football. The Steelers said you aren't going to probably be playing much of it (only two downs at the most, which is what he played last year).

I didn't hear him in the press whining and complaining. . . talking about staying out of camp, blah blah blah.

Gotta remember people, quite a bit of this is reported after the fact.

I think he and the Steelers org. were upfront and parted ways amicably. We needed all the cap room we could get, he wanted more playing time.

Both sides won.