The Hardest Part of Being a Steelers’ Scout
I have been stranded for four hours in Lexington, Kentucky, followed by seven hours in Detroit, arriving in South Bend, Indiana, with the rental car company closed until 9 AM the next day and without luggage.
Been stuck in a blizzard in Brooking, South Dakota.
Seated in a middle couch airline seat next to two ladies weighing a couple of biscuits over 300 lbs. I got to know them well.
Checking into San Jose Holiday Inn to find a homeless man sleeping in the bed naked. That was scary!
Having a cockroach fall from the ceiling at a Texas Hooters into my wings and being told that they would not pay for it or reorder it since it was not an indoor cockroach. Who knew there were indoor and outdoor cockroaches! And knew the differences!!!
Making the drive from Nebraska to Oklahoma pro days, traveling through Tulsa, where I was the last car on the toll road they let go before they closed the toll road gate due to the tornado behind me. The guard and police told me, “Do you have a full tank of gas and don’t stop!”
Of course, I had to pee and stopped at a rest stop. Never felt wind and rain like that. The rest stop was also a storm shelter and there were some scary people holed up in there! It was a white knuckler all the way!
The hardest part was writing a darn email to ALL the Steelers organization at the beginning of this month, telling everyone goodbye for the last time as being a Pittsburgh Steeler! It was hard. I did not know what to say or how to say it. I got teared up thinking about writing this email days before. Everyone knew from all the very humbling newspaper and Internet articles. One article online sounded like my obituary! I might have to save that one and use it when I do pass away in the year 2057 when I turn 100 years old.
This was the email:
“From: Gorscak, Mark
Sent: Thursday, June 1, 2023 6:21:10 AM
To: PIT – All Personnel < >
Cc: XXXXXX@XXX.com
Subject: My Appreciation to the Steelers
To All the Steelers,
Just a simple note of Thanks to everyone in the organization for welcoming me into the Steelers, 28 years ago, on the date of June 1, 1995!
Also, to All the Steelers that I do not know as well, your best is yet to come!
I am a fortunate person to be part of a special organization and give thanks to GOD daily!
The things I have done due to the Steelers has been one great ride! I have always represented the organization with class and have given back to the people that have touched me across the nation.
It is the Steeler Way!
It is time to pursue new Challenges and Creativity! I am not retiring but simply graduating into a new chapter. I am a young, healthy 66-year-old that has a lot of life to give back to the game I love, and the people involved!
I am not moving out of the Burgh and will always be around. I will be at the games cheering and second guessing like some of the fans.
It is never about You; it is about the Team! That is being a Steeler!
Yours in Football
Mark Gorscak
Scout – Pittsburgh Steelers
Gors of Course!”
What a way to say goodbye. Knowing that a part of you is no longer there. Knowing you left a presence that you hope will be remembered. That your work spot in that scouting room is now taken by a new scout but knowing he can be part of a great tradition.
It is a cycle of life. Now I am in the graduation phase of my life. Let’s roll, let’s get creative!
This is the first of articles I will timely write for Steelers Depot. I appreciate the Steelers Depot letting me try out as a writer. I figure they can always cut me like the NFL does. These articles will be based on life lessons that I experienced as a scout and about the technical aspect of scouting and team building.
*Mark Gorscak was a scout for the Pittsburgh Steelers for 28 years, following a 16-year career as a coach for assorted teams at all levels of the football.
*In addition to leading a charmed life working for his hometown team, Mark made Joe Montana famous. Sort of. Since he was Joe’s center at Ringgold High School, Joe never would never have gotten the ball to do all those magical things if not for Mark.
* Joe has four Super Bowl rings and Mark has two Super Bowl rings. Not bad for high school teammates.
* Mark has been the starter for the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine for 21 years and repeatedly has been the butt of jokes from Rich Eisen, Mike Mayock and Daniel Jeremiah on the NFL Network’s set during its coverage of the annual event in Indianapolis.
* Mark is the Most Interesting Scout in the World – in his own mind!
* Follow Mark on Twitter: @gors55
