“It’s Tomlin’s team now,” Wards says. “When he first inherited the team, a lot of those players were under coach Bill Cowher and did things the coach Cowher way. Tomlin was very militant when he came here. He wanted to see who would challenge his authority and he got rid of some of the guys that questioned him. He kept the guys that followed what he wanted. Once he got a full year or two [with] the guys he knows and sees every day at practice, then he let up a little bit. He gave guys off time. I think guys love playing for him. He’s just a pro’s coach and he stands up for everybody.” –amir shaw
