PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – For the first time in a couple of decades Mike Tomlin will be at a Steelers game, and not the head coach. Tomlin will be a part of the NBC broadcast in Cincinnati, but he hasn’t been a stranger with several Steelers players.
At least four of the current Steelers have communicated with Tomlin since he became a media guy.
“I still talk to him, I love Mike T,” said Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. “I have so much appreciation for him bringing me here last year and the amount of fun we had together. The closeness of the bond that we formed. It will be good to see him.”
“I’m excited to see him, can’t wait,” said linebacker Alex Highsmith. “It’s definitely going to be weird, for sure, but I’m very excited to see him before the game.”
Even the man who followed Tomlin is going to try to find a minute to talk to him.
“Really happy for Mike,” McCarthy said. “I'm trying not to laugh because I've never seen him smile so much. I’m told he's very happy. He's doing a great job. So, yeah, definitely hope to run into him there in Cincinnati.”
His captain for over a decade, Cam Heyward is part of a group text with Tomlin. He started sending messages during training camp and then wishing players luck before the first game. Heyward said the recent texts is ‘on fire with what he says’.
Why is that?
“Because he’s petty, he’s always got an axe to grind,” Heyward said. “And that’s the way we are too. Like minds, we push each other and expect to perform at high levels.”
You can still feel the love for their old coach. And the admiration for Mike Tomlin, media guy.
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“Yeah, he’s killing it,” Highsmith said. “I watch Sunday Night Football, at least the pregame show, almost every Sunday night for that reason and watching him. He’s killing it and doing his thing.”
“I’m not surprised in the least, he is absolutely killing it on TV, the few times I’ve seen him,” Rodgers said. “Nobody can talk football better than Mike T. It’s an absolute match made in heaven, him being on TV doing what he does.”
“I don’t know if he still wants to coach at some point, but he’s doing a hell of a job and it will be good to see him.”
‘I love Mike T’ part of the reaction from locker room about seeing their old coach
‘I love Mike T’ part of the reaction from locker room about seeing their old coach
