Thanks to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier this week, rumors have been flying around about whether Mike Tomlin’s time with the Pittsburgh Steelers is coming to an end.
Schefter said he’s hearing from “people around the league” that Tomlin could step away from the team he’s coached for 17 seasons.
For Tomlin’s former player Troy Polamalu, it’s simple: He believes there’s nobody better to continue leading the Black and Gold.
“He’s a man of integrity that holds people accountable,” Polamalu told Steelers Wire. “And when you have such a high standard for yourself, you’re going to hold everybody else around you, aside from the fact that he’s a great communicator as well.”
Polamalu said he learned from Tomlin — beyond what he could from most others — what it is to be a good safety. “I learned so much just what a safety should look at, and just from a tactical perspective of what it took to be a good safety. So, he checks every box about what he knows about every position above and beyond what players could, and most coaches could.
“He, to me, is the most well-rounded coach, is a Hall of Fame coach, just like other Hall of Fame coaches that I played with, Pete Carroll [at USC] and Coach [Bill] Cowher.”
Troy Polamalu relives Super Bowl in Frito-Lay campaign
Troy Polamalu and all three of his former coaches have had the sought-after honor of playing in and winning Super Bowls. The Hall of Fame safety won one each under Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin.
In “Taste the Victory,” a new NFL playoff season campaign from Frito-Lay, Polamalu got the chance to relive the post-win excitement.
“It was cool to work with Rob [Gronkowski] and Marshawn [Lynch] to celebrate Super Bowls that we’ve won, and the nostalgic feeling that attached to that, especially with an iconic brand, Frito-Lay,” Polamalu said.
The ad, now live across social and digital platforms, will air on TV starting Saturday and run through Super 58 on Feb. 11.
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