Long was recruited from the military to play football for Columbia Junior College.
He'd later transfer to East Carolina, play football for that program, while still pursuing his degree.
[2] In 1983, to prove his strength to NFL teams, Long competed in a powerlifting meet for the first and only time and totalled an incredible 2149.3 pounds, including a near-world record 865.3 pound deadlift; this was more than anyone lifted in that year's Powerlifting World Championships.
As a rookie in 1984, Long started seven games, as the Steelers finished 9–7, winning the AFC Central, despite an unstable quarterback situation, with former first round selection Mark Malone and former Dolphins starter David Woodley splitting the starting duties.
In 1986, Long started all 16 games, but the Steelers were not winners on the field, falling to a record of 6–10.
[5] In the days leading up to his death, Long was facing a plethora of legal issues.
Long had been indicted in March 2005 for arson and fraud charges from a fire that destroyed his chicken processing business.
An autopsy by neuropathologist Bennet Omalu revealed that Long had CTE,[8] a degenerative disease caused by repeated hits to the head[9][10] during his football career.