PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – As Mike Tomlin leaves the Steelers, he leaves to admiration from the players he coached. Before they knew about the news, the thoughts from his players were for a man they greatly adored.
One of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time wanted to play for Tomlin. Aaron Rodgers became a Steelers for an opportunity to start, yes, but often talked of a kinship with Tomlin. I could spend a run of paragraphs detailing his quotes about the former Steelers head coach.
After what turned out to be the final game of Tomlin’s Steelers career and potentially Rodgers NFL career, he questioned why there would even be a remote reason for him not to return for a 20th season.
“When you have the right guy and the culture is right, you don't think about
making a change,” Rodgers said. “But there's a lot of pressure that comes from the outside, and obviously that sways decisions from time to time. But that's not how I would do things and not how the League used to be.”
Times do change and it’s not as if coaches and teams didn’t separate previously after insane success-Tom Landry was fired as was Chuck Noll. Marty Schottenheimer took Cleveland to new heights, but not high enough. Even the only coach to win six Super Bowls, Bill Belichick was fired by New England.
But more about Tomlin, no one in that room was with him longer than Cam Heyward. The two had a special relationship where Tomlin knew how to poke him about his age, but not to the point of taking it too far. It would be hard to argue that Tomlin didn’t get every ounce out of the defensive leader.
“I don’t really care about that noise because they don’t know what Mike T puts into us,” Heyward said Monday of Tomlin’s detractors. “They don’t know how he goes out of his way to prepare every man. They don’t about know the countless nights that man is in there studying film. Coaches can only do so much, players have to play better and in those critical moments, players have to step up.”
“Coach T pours so much into us,” said receiver Calvin Austin Monday. “It just sucks, because our performance was not reflective of how we prepared. How we were together as a group. It sucks to put on this performance for the city and Coach T because it’s not reflective of us.”
“One of the best coaches I’ve ever played for, probably the best,” said tight end Pat Freiermuth, who if any of the players could argue was under-utilized this season, yet still followed his head coach. “He’s message hasn’t gotten stale. I believe in him.”
Tomlin believed in the impact a slot corner from the Jets could make and they signed Brandin Echols to a two-year contract. He played in his first playoff game Monday and said Tomlin was what he hoped.
“Love Mike Tomlin, a real good head coach,” Echols said Tuesday. “He’s just a good leader. He’s real motivational, love hearing him talk, hearing him speak. He just gets you going, makes you want to go play hard for him.”
No relationship in that locker room is as unique as the one with corner Joey Porter, Junior. He grew up with Tomlin’s sons and Porter has known Tomlin ever since he can remember. What he appreciates about Tomlin is that you get the same person on or off the field and that earned his respect.
“Our relationship has grown so much over the years,” Porter said. “I just know he’s proud of me and I’m proud of him for all the things he’s done and the positions he put me.”
“I’m just forever grateful for him.”
A lot of players in that clubhouse are.
They also know it was their lack of execution that played a part in the season ending. Now they wait to see what is next.