Throughout his 10-year NFL career, veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson II has had some, let’s say interesting, head coaches.
Robinson has played for the likes of Gus Bradley, Doug Marrone and Matt Nagy. Things have gotten better in recent years after one season with Sean McVay in Los Angeles, but for the veteran receiver, the chance to play for Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has been quite a fulfilling experience.
After being acquired from the Rams via trade ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, Robinson has stepped into a leadership role on a young Steelers offense, especially within a young receivers room. Though things haven’t exactly gone the way he and the Steelers were hoping when the move was made, the opportunity to play for a coach the caliber of Tomlin has been a great experience for Robinson.
Appearing on SiriusXM’s The Player’s Point on SiriusXM NFL Radio alongside free agent NFL tight end Colin Thompson Tuesday night, Robinson spoke glowingly of Tomlin — the head coach and the person.
“Man, it’s been a great experience. …I would just say, I think the main thing is he’s as transparent as you can be as a coach. And that’s across the board,” Robinson said of Tomlin, according to audio via SiriusXM.com. “That’s schematically, reflecting on our own team. That’s details to our opponents, across the board. And also at the end of the day, he’s a great dude. Whether that’s checking to see how guys are doing, how’s guys’ families.
“For some guys who are just getting here, how are they getting adjusted? Just many different things, and certain things like that go such a long way.”
Oftentimes when it comes to Tomlin, the label of “player’s coach” gets slapped on him, usually as a negative moniker. He’s not as old-school as people are used to, but nobody is. It’s a different athlete  — and a different generation — today compared to the old days. Coaches have to adjust and learn what makes players tick and how to reach them.
Tomlin has made those adjustments throughout his career and consistently has players inside the organization and outside speaking glowingly about him, not only as a coach, but as a person.
The type of stuff that Robinson pointed out that stands out about Tomlin the coach and the person might seem minor, but for players it’s a major thing and goes a long, long way. A coach who sees his players as more than just assets, as actually people, garners the respect and admiration within the locker room.
Tomlin, who is still a top 5-10 coach in the NFL, has that in abundance with the Steelers, and seemingly across the league, too.
