Going from a doormat, dysfunctional organization to one with stability and consistency can do wonders for a player’s psyche.
New Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker Myles Jack, who spoke to the media Thursday during his introductory press conference, is hoping that’s the case with his move to Pittsburgh following a five-year stint in Jacksonville with the Jaguars that ended shockingly and unceremoniously on Tuesday.
Following his release from Jaguars Tuesday morning, Jack immediately had a market, one that ultimately landed him in Pittsburgh. It helped that Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin pitched him on winning championships, something Jack came close to doing one year in Jacksonville before the wheels fell off of the organization once again.
“I guess, as broad as that sounds, that was it, man,” Jack said to reporters regarding what sold him on Pittsburgh, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “When he said championships and winning a championship, that was really all I needed to hear because I feel like in my career, I just really…at this point I just really wanna win games.
“I wanna be a part of something. Â I want to go home on that night and be happy and wake up on Monday and be happy. You know what I mean?” Jack added. “So I’m eager to win. And with that comes championships. So once he said that, that was really all I needed to hear. There’s nothing else that he could really sell me on to join the team. To be honest with you at this point, I just wanna win and play good football. And that’s what I’m here to do.”
Sounds pretty simple, right?
It makes for an easy pitch in free agency when you have the cap space to make a signing like Jack work, and are a stable, competitive organization on a consistent basis with a Hall of Fame coach leading the charge.
Based on the way the Steelers have been active in free agency and how the roster is currently constructed, Jack should have plenty of nights and days where he’s feeling happy and good overall about his team and the direction it’s heading.
