PITTSBURGH – In more than a decade as a coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin’s index of callouts has grown with each season.
And for the first time – at least in recent memory – he debuted a new one by describing the difference in his team from the first half to the second after the Steelers’ 28-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
“It’s a fine line between drinking wine and crushing grapes, as we say in this business,” said Tomlin, without a laugh or a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Wait what? Who says that in this business?
Only one man in the NFL utters phrases like that, and he’s been the Steelers’ head coach for the past 14 seasons. By using catchphrases, slogans and mantras, Tomlin, 48, communicates effectively with his players and members of the media covering his team. The wording is different from the dressing room for press conferences, but Tomlin’s approach is consistent.
“Much of the message is similar,” said former Steelers defense player Brett Keisel. “I think when he’s thinking about ways to motivate the team and how he’s going to do it, and the process by which he’s going to say things, because let’s be honest, in this business it’s driven by fans, and they want to hear the your coach’s content, they want to hear your players’s content, they want to hear your reactions.
“He understands that this is all part of this great game. And then he found a way to get his voice out, not just to fans and the public, or even the property, but also to his players. And he is very smart about it. . He spends time on it. The guy loves football, like deep in his soul. “
In Tomlin, tight end Eric Ebron found a kind of soul mate. As hard as it is to believe, given his differences in personality and approach with reporters, the fun and sincere Ebron instantly connected with the coach of all businesses.
And all thanks to Tomlin’s mantras.
“I can identify with Mike Tomlin because some of my friends used to say that I speak Ebronics, which used to be funny because I had these weird sayings or weird notions too,” said Ebron, 27. “I can identify with Mike T. It’s something that clicks, it’s something you haven’t heard, but you won’t forget.”
Tomlin’s constant reminder of the importance of game days is an especially significant message for Ebron.
“One of my favorites is, ‘We show up at the stadiums,'” said Ebron. “For me, it resonated because no matter what happened during the week, no matter what is happening in your life during the week. On Sunday or Thursday or whenever we play, when you are in that stadium, it is about everything it’s happening with that football game. No matter what, out there, whatever happens, whatever it is, we work in stadiums.
“It kind of resonated with me, as if the day of the game was our day. It’s basically like our day for having fun, going out and having fun.”
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick also stuck to one of his coach’s words – “Have a great day” – after the Steelers acquired him in a negotiation at the beginning of last season. Fitzpatrick didn’t understand what his trainer meant at first, but the more he listened, the more Tomlin’s words held him.
“He doesn’t say, ‘Have a great day’ or ‘Be great today,’ he says, ‘Have a great day,'” said Fitzpatrick. “We often wake up in the morning at 5:25 am, really wanting to have a great day. We have every reason in the world not to make it a great day. It’s a consistent choice that you have to make in every little detail throughout the day. to make it look great.
“It took me a while to understand what he meant by that, and one day he explained, it was more or less exactly what I said. He lives. He has all the excuses in the world for not working so much because he has achieved practically everything that you can perform as a head coach in the NFL. Every day he’s here. He’s one of the first people in the building, one of the last people in the building, he pays attention to every detail. He does things to make it a great day. . “
In a season that has not been consistent at all, Tomlin’s words and method of sending messages have been constant, creating the most stable environment possible in an ever-changing world.
Not all of his messages, however, are easy to understand. Some of his current and former players helped to translate some of his most memorable Tomlinisms, used in his dressing room and in press conferences.
‘The pattern is the pattern’
What does it mean: “No one knows what it really means at times. It’s such a broad thing. And what it means to him, there is a single goal every day, to work for a win. And no matter who is on the field, it doesn’t matter against whom you play, this pattern is something individual, but it is also something unique to your team. ” – Ryan Clark, ESPN analyst and former Steelers defender
‘The kitchen’
What does it mean: “The kitchen, I think is just our everyday home. So in this house, it’s the Steelers organization. They’re focused on the kitchen at AFC North. Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, that’s what is in the kitchen, and that’s what you need to stir the pot and eat and move on. ” – Keisel
‘Unnamed gray faces’
What does it mean: “It really means that everyone is just a shirt with a smiling face, like, we don’t care about you. If we go out and if the Pittsburgh Steelers does what the Pittsburgh Steelers should do, we will beat anyone.” – Clark
‘I don’t make a guess’
What does it mean: “It means he doesn’t like to guess, right? You’ll deal with what’s in front of you. Don’t tell me there’s a chance. No, it’s also 100 percent, that’s what we’re doing and that’s how we’re going to find out, or we will not discuss it … He always said: ‘Talking to people about things over which they have no control is a sports complaint, you just talk.’ ” – Clark
‘Don’t be patient, just work while you wait’
What does it mean: “It was when I was on the training team last year, and he always tried to encourage those guys. He said those words to me, and I didn’t really know exactly what he meant. I was like, ‘Yes, I won’t be patient. I will definitely keep working. ‘I didn’t know when it was going to happen, and he probably didn’t know when it was going to happen either. But that is the beauty of it all. Keep working because when your opportunity arrives, you’re 100 percent ready. ” – Security Steelers Marcus Allen
Tomlin returned to a favorite saying in his weekly availability on Tuesday, describing the Steelers’ mindset going into a Week 17 fight with the Cleveland Browns, featuring Mason Rudolph and not Ben Roethlisberger as a full-back. It’s the phrase printed on the teams’ t-shirts and displayed on the walls of Heinz Field.
“We intend to do our job,” he said. “We intend to prepare ourselves with this mentality. And ultimately, take us to that destination. We are not looking for comfort. We are not evaluating ourselves on a curve. This game is on schedule and so the guys who will be on the field will represent us in the standard that is the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the standard. “
But what does Tomlin mean when he says that “the pattern is the pattern?” Allow the trainer to explain in his own words.
“What I mean specifically is that our job is to win,” he said on Tuesday. “Maybe the formula looks a little bit different. Maybe the process is a little more uncomfortable based on the circumstances and so on, but the main point: football is our game, our business is winning and our intentions are to deal with business. the default is the default means every time i say it. “