Few pro football kickers have received as much fame as Roy Gerela. The former Pittsburgh Steeler played on three Super Bowl champion teams and had his own rooting section at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, known as Gerela's Gorillas.
Since retiring in 1979, Gerela has returned to Las Cruces, N.M., where he played college football at New Mexico State. He has had two stints as an assistant coach with the Aggies. Now he is the head football coach at Gadsden High School in Anthony, N.M., about 30 miles south of Las Cruces. He also has been selected as the south New Mexico ambassador for USA Football's Heads Up Football program and shown special interest in the Nerf Football League of Las Cruces -- the biggest youth football league in the area.
Last week, Gerela talked with NFL Evolution contributing editor Bill Bradley about Gerela's pro football career, how he got into high school coaching and his work with the Heads Up Football program.
What were you doing after you retired from the NFL up until you began coaching at Gadsden High School?
I came back here from Pittsburgh and had an opportunity to coach tight ends and special teams for Jim Hess (former coach at New Mexico State) back in 1991. My first year was as a graduate assistant, and then I moved into full-time coaching the following year. I spent six years with him. Then he had heart problems and he retired, and I just stayed here and took a high school position. I got my Master's and kept on teaching. I enjoyed it, so I hung around here in Las Cruces. Then I had another stint with New Mexico State under Hal Mumme (until 2008). Then I got into high school coaching.
What drew you to coaching a small high school?
I was teaching at the high school, and it only made sense to get involved in football, so that's what I did. I wanted no part of the head (coaching) job. But my principal firmly suggested I give it a shot, so here I am.
Why do you like coaching high school football?
I think it's the development of kids, teaching them how to play the game and how to succeed. It's a very, very good carryover of their lives. And it's great to see them grow and graduate every year, to see how much they progress, and see how they enjoyed their experience.
Not many NFL kickers have a college background of also playing running back and defensive back. How has that overall football resume helped you in coaching?
It does help me. In high school, I never really kicked. I played punter and did kickoffs when I had to. In college, I started at defensive back for three years. Then I got into kicking field goals soccer style in my junior year of college. By that time, my brother was kicking at Washington State, went to the (Canadian Football League) and suggested I give it a shot because I grew up in Canada playing soccer. I went ahead and gave it a shot, and things worked out pretty good.
Did former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll ever use you at a position besides kicker?
When I (was drafted by Houston), I did both. I kicked and punted. Then, (the Steelers) had me as the seventh defensive back. They threw me in there at the end of the practice just for me to get a feel for things and know that if I ever got into a game, that's what I would do. I worked on that for about year, but I never really got in -- thank God!
As a three-time Super Bowl champion, does your fame help you in coaching? Do your kids know what you've accomplished in your pro football career?
They look at me and look at my rings and they put the two together. Sometimes there's a connection; sometimes there's not. They ask a lot of questions like, "How do you get to the NFL?" or, "How long did you play?" and, "How did it feel?" At the same time, they're looking at me and wondering, "Hey, maybe I can do it, too."
How did you get involved as an ambassador for the Heads Up Football program?
The (USA Football) home office contacted me to see if I wanted to be the ambassador here in Las Cruces. I didn't know what it all entailed. I said, "Sure, any kind of connection with kids as far as football is concerned, I would be glad to do, especially with the Heads Up and the NFL connection." I just thought I would give it a shot to see what it all entailed. I was curious about what I would have to do. I took a stab in the dark and it went well. So far, so good. It's a really great program.
What were your thoughts as you were going through the training in Indianapolis?
My first reaction was, "I wish somebody would have offered me this opportunity when I was a kid in high school because, at that time, there were no camps you could go to at all. This is a great idea, not only for the kids learning how to tackle and taking the head out of the game. It's especially good for the coaches. The coaches are certified, and the parents are grateful for that. Their coach has to go through training to coach their kid. So the parents feel much more relaxed and at ease that their kid is going to be taken care of. With some football knowledge, you don't have a bus driver or an accountant teaching the kids how to play football blindly. I've talked to a lot of parents, and they are so grateful that these coaches have to go through the training program, not only to get certified, but also to fit equipment like helmets and shoulder pads. You know, 30 percent of injuries in football are caused by improperly fitted equipment. How many times have you seen kids exchange helmets because this one was broken or a strap came loose? They borrow a helmet from another kid, but that's dangerous because that helmet doesn't fit that kid. The chances of that kid getting a concussion increases. The parents are excited about this program. The coaches are too.
What is some of the feedback you have received from the coaches?
I know some guys who are very excited about this program, which actually teaches you how to be a coach. I know some guys that are coaching for the first time ever. They have to take a test, and some of the questions are very challenging. One coach told me that's what we needed. He said he felt really good that he could go out there and coach the kids in a safe way and do a good job.
Has your ambassador work mainly been in the Las Cruces area?
It's mainly in the southern part of New Mexico. I did work with the Nerf league here in Las Cruces. The first meeting I attended was with the commissioner and the player safety coach, Billy Avalos. I met with them on the day they were meeting with the league officials. I sat in on the meeting with the league officials. Then about an hour later, they had these kids coming in to register and also weigh in. I met a lot of these kids and showed them my Super Bowl rings. They were in awe. And the parents were very excited about the direction of the program, and were happy I could talk with them a lot.
It sounds as if the parents have been a big connection for you while introducing the Heads Up Football program.
They have seen that the coaches have to be certified, that we have to have safety issues regarding concussions and how to fit equipment and how to control the hydration of kids in this heat. The more I talk to these coaches, the more they get excited about this program and what it does for them. Even after talking to a couple of (referees), even they say that these coaches kind of react a little more knowledgeable as far as what they are trying to accomplish and understand in the coaching of kids.
