Rod Milstead used to guard Washington Redskins quarterbacks. Now he protects the public from criminals.
Milstead is a bounty hunter in Southern Maryland. Sorry, bail enforcement agent. Either way, you never want to see the 300-pounder coming for you. It’s going to end in steel cuffs and iron bars.
Milstead Bail Bonds Services lies steps from the La Plata, Md. courthouse where many of the former Redskins guard’s clients pass. Assault and theft cases mostly filled his 1,500 bonds over five years. Entire families have been clients. Occasionally, an old friend.
The southern edge of the Washington suburbs seems far from his NFL days when part of San Francisco’s 1994 Super Bowl title. There were also stops in Dallas and Cleveland during an eight-year career before finishing with the Redskins in 1998-99 that included 11 starts during the first season.
Milstead still lives in his nearby hometown of Bryans Road, Md. where he was a two-time all-state lineman at Lackey High. He likes knowing everyone around him. The NFL life was fun, but Milstead didn’t want to be another ex-jock living off memories.
“I met everything from super models to actresses and they’re attracted to who you are and what you have and you’re attracted to them,” he said. “Once the money runs out, you’re back to being Rod Milstead again. The one thing I told people from day one was I would never stop being me.”
Money hasn’t been a problem. He operated a successful restaurant for several years and did well in real estate. After blowing his first NFL weekly paycheck of $3,333 at a mall, Milstead quickly learned to save and once his career ended, to downsize the lifestyle.
“No athlete saves every dime they make,” he said. “When you’re a professional athlete you live that lifestyle. Big cars, big houses, lots of women at times. Once that career’s over, you have to re-evaluate.”
Bail bonds seemed a lucrative business given clients pay 10 percent of the bond to Milstead for guaranteeing the rest. Milstead spent 8,000 minutes on his cell phone last month often answering more than 50 calls daily.
Only a handful of those awaiting trial have to be chased down each year with only one of Milstead’s clients still at large. That bad bond cost Milstead $70,000.
But chasing down bad guys — that’s more exciting than knocking down defenders before 90,000 fans.
“I get the rush like I’m getting ready to walk out onto FedEx Field,” Milstead said.
It’s a dangerous job. Milstead and his team carry weapons, though most fugitives come peacefully. Milstead usually feeds them en route to the jail, often calls their folks. He’s not the judge and jury, just the jailer.
“This is not personal,” he said. “If the mailman brings you a bill you don’t want to kill him.”
Milstead, 37, is readying for law school in 2008. He hopes to be an attorney by 2011.
“I’m more excited about this than when I went to college the first time,” Milstead said. “I love a challenge.”
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
