Mike Tomlin is on the verge of making history. If he wins the Super Bowl next month, he will become the first black and youngest coach to ever win two Super Bowls. However, Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers must first defeat the New York Jets on Sunday for a chance to play in the big game.
Rolling out sports traveled to the Steelers’ training facilities and captured Tomlin’s thoughts on the trash talking between players from both teams and facing Super Bowl MVP and former Steeler Santonio Holmes.
–amir shaw
How hard was it to cut ties with Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes?
Those are business decisions that you have to make every year. I hated to see Larry Foote go. The feelings are the same because you develop a respect for what certain players are capable of doing. You develop personal relationships with them and emotionally it’s a similar situation.
How do you remain on an even keel amid the battle of words going on between the teams?
I guess the battle of words is mostly from those guys. We’re just going about [our] business. We normally try not to talk about it. We realize that at 6:30 on Sunday, talking doesn’t mean much. It’s about what you do. That’s been my mantra since I got here.
What’s the key to making sure the defense is the heart and soul of this team?
Our defensive coordinator, Dick LeBeau, is special. He has great experience. There is nothing that this game can present that he hasn’t seen. The way he approaches his job is inspiring to anyone who is trying to be great. I learn from him and he inspires me. He’s a special guy to be around.
