The Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of work to do before the start of the 2022 NFL season, but that didn’t stop Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin from taking some time out of his day to help kids in the Pittsburgh community.
According to NFL insider Jay Glazer, Tomlin reportedly saw some kids fighting in the street while driving, and pulled over to stop the altercation, later spending a number of hours with the kids after this altercation.
He then saw these same kids the next day at a local community center to be his guest at a Steelers practice, where they were seen going through drills with star running back Najee Harris.
Best thing/story I’ve seen so far on my camp tour. A little backstory. @CoachTomlin was driving in his car when he saw these kids fighting in the street. Tomlin pulls over and the kids, in obvious shock at who stepped out of the car, stopped fighting. (Read full story below) pic.twitter.com/08pFlZTtfx
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) August 18, 2022
THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT!!! What a moment for these kids @steelers training camp!! They were coached by their new friend and did drills with them @ohthatsNajee22 …who else wants to join in?
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) August 18, 2022
This is a truly special moment for those young kids, and many around the NFL world are taking to social media to applaud Tomlin for his generosity and making a difference in the kids’ lives.
God, I love Mike Tomlin so much. We don’t deserve him. https://t.co/D8rjcWDD1t
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) August 18, 2022
Consistent winning happens bc of culture. It’s no mystery why Coach Tomlin has never had a losing season with the Steelers. Xs and Os matter but players love to go to work for a coach like this https://t.co/COplTGanDX
— jbooty (@JakeButtTE) August 18, 2022
Mike Tomlin. Neighborhood hero. pic.twitter.com/QYuTKEW20t
— trevor trout (@totaltroutmove) August 19, 2022
Mike Tomlin is the best, pretty much all there is to say here https://t.co/a2BpuLh0AJ
— Leila Rahimi (@leilarahimi) August 18, 2022
Love this, these kids will remember this for the rest of their lives. https://t.co/hWu5kypL0T
— John Reid (@JohnReid64) August 19, 2022
Coach T is the best https://t.co/Qho2bEQPDF
— Randy Baumann (@DVERandy) August 18, 2022
Tomlin has long been one of the most beloved coaches in all of football by his players, and it is stories like this that further reaffirm that notion.
Other than Bill Belichick in New England, Tomlin is the longest-tenured coach in the NFL with the Steelers, starting with the franchise in 2007.
That has largely been due to the team’s consistency over the years thanks to his steady coaching alongside former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
After Roethlisberger’s retirement this offseason, there have certainly been doubts about the team’s chances heading into the upcoming season, and it will be interesting to see whether or not Tomlin will be able to overcome some unproven quarterback play heading into the season.