The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be leaning on coaching and their defense to make things easier on whoever will be taking snaps at the quarterback position for the team in 2022. The "changing of the guard" at the quarterback position is one of a number of changes that the Steelers will be handling this upcoming season.
However, the one constant is head coach, Mike Tomlin, who I might add, has never had a losing season while leading this franchise. No matter how angry the fanbase gets sometimes, the Steelers are in great hands with Tomlin leading the way, that's for sure! We're extremely lucky to root for a Tomlin-led team and even more importantly, players love to play for the guy!
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin calls a play in the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Benny Sieu / USA Today Sports
On Monday, Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith joined the Movin’ The Chains show on SiriusXM NFL Radio to discuss a number of topics including what makes Tomlin great as an NFL head coach.
Highsmith was asked if Tomlin treats him differently now, as opposed to his rookie year with the franchise in 2020:
"He always demands excellence out of us," Highsmith stated matter-of-factly. "That's the reason people love Coach Tomlin 'cause he's a player's coach. He's able to relate well to all of the players, young and old. He definitely will get on ya when you're a rookie because he wants the best out of you, but for all of the guys, he just wants excellence. And that's what he demands.""It's like the sign says, 'The Standard Is The Standard,' Highsmith continued. "So I think that's what makes him a great coach. Not only is he building a great team, he's building great men and he just wants the best out of us every single day."
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 31: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Steelers defeated the Browns 15-10. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
It doesn't matter what Tomlin accomplishes, he "doesn't seek comfort," and he expects the same mentality from the players on his team!
"I create comforts for my wife and kids, man. I just lay my head down here until it’s time to go to work the next damn day," Tomlin said in the outstanding interview with The Pivot Podcast last month. "You know what I mean? I resist comfort. I ask my guys to resist comfort, right? Guys that played for me, they can tell you, one of my sayings, I got a lot of sayings, is… ‘Don’t seek comfort.’ Seeking comfort is a natural human condition, right? We all want to be comfortable.""I realized if you’re going to have special outcomes, that you got to be comfortable being uncomfortable. And so, I’ve just trained myself over the years to resist comfort and so [to] appreciate my resume is seeking comfort. You know what I mean? I get my *** whipped and I say, ‘uh, but my resume is such and such.'"
Very powerful words to live by from the always intriguing Tomlin. Every time the man speaks, all ears stop and listen. I truly understand why players love to play for him!
CINCINNATI, OHIO - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers on the sidelines in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on November 28, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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