Aug 22, 2015 3 min read

Avella native Ralph Cindrich wrote a book detailing his colorful life, titled “NFL Brawler.”

The book covers Cindrich’s life growing up in Avella, wrestling and playing football at Pitt, his playing days in the NFL and then, finally, his long and successful career as one of the best pro sports agents.

Cindrich was ranked as one of the most powerful people in sports in the 1980s and ’90s by USA Today and details many of his dealings with teams, players and other agents.

As is usually the case with Cindrich, he pulls few punches.

For example, this about former Baltimore and Indianapolis Colts owner Bob Irsay in a chapter titled The Villan: “His own mother called him the devil. Bob Irsay had no problem pissing people off. … I would soon find all of this out for myself. Bob and I were headed for war.”

Cindrich was at the forefront of many of the big dealings in the NFL over the last four decades, including helping to engineer the Herschel Walker trade from Dallas to Minnesota and negotiating a number of deals with the Steelers for some of their biggest stars, Dermontti Dawson and James Farrior among them.

If you’re from Washington County, a Steelers fan or even just a football fan, you need to give “NFL Brawler” a read. There are plenty of anecdotes about dealings with nearly every team in the league.

You won’t be disappointed. It’s a page-turner from cover to cover.

• Canon-McMillan High School graduate and former Penn State star Mike Hull continues to build on his strong offseason with the Miami Dolphins.

The undrafted rookie led the Dolphins with five tackles in their first preseason game. The Dolphins played their second preseason game Saturday night.

According to Andy Cohen of MiamiDolphins.com, Hull and fellow undrafted rookie linebacker Zach Vigil of Utah State are locked in a battle to make the 53-man roster, with the other headed to the practice squad.

“As of this precise moment, Zach Vigil appears to be leading the group, but that can change in a hurry. Someone like Mike Hull, who led the Big 10 in tackles last season at Penn State, also has a decent shot,” Cohen wrote.

Hull stands a good chance of at least making the Dolphins’ practice squad.

Considering Washington and Greene counties haven’t had a player do even that in nearly two decades, that’s a big deal.

• The Steelers broke training camp Saturday and we largely know exactly what we did going in. The offense has a chance to be the best in the NFL and the most explosive in team history.

The defense, on the other hand, just might be among the worst the Steelers have fielded in quite some time.

That will be a big change for Steelers fans.

Even if the defense ranks in the bottom half of the league again this year – it was 18th in 2014 – if it can improve on its takeaway numbers, then it would be an upgrade.

The Steelers forced only 21 turnovers last year. If they can get that number to at least 30, that would be a marked improvement.

It doesn’t matter how they get the ball back into the hands of Ben Roethlisberger. They just have to find ways to do so.

F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.