Mike Tomlin might be on a cold streak when it comes to the playoffs, but it doesn’t seem like he’s in danger of losing his job. That’s mostly because of the fantastic resumé he’s put together. As a rookie head coach in 2007, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding Tomlin. However, he did lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory in his second season with them. According to former Steelers corner Bryant McFadden, it sounds like that first season under Tomlin might have been a little rough for the players.
“What he did, which was something a lot of the vets didn’t like, he tried to figure us out by working us extra hard,” McFadden said Tuesday on Coached 2 Win with Christian Fauria. “I remember, his first training camp, we had 20-straight days of two-a-days. Back when they were real two-a-days, when we were thumping.
“He said he did that because he was trying to figure out this team, seeing the guys that would complain about working hard, seeing the guys that wouldn’t give their best effort play in and play out, and seeing the guys that can stand it, can take it.”
It makes sense that Tomlin, one of the youngest head coaches in the league, would want to gauge his players’ toughness. He had only been in the NFL since 2001, with only one year as a defensive coordinator under his belt. That first offseason with him in charge was a learning process for everyone.
While two-a-days are banned in the NFL now, back in 2007, they were much more common. However, McFadden is correct that 20-straight practices like that would exhaust anyone. That means players likely had around 40 practices in 20 days. It isn’t surprising to hear some veterans were upset with Tomlin’s way of doing things.
McFadden explained how those practices played a role in the Steelers’ Wild Card Round loss to the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars in early January.
“When we lost in the playoffs in his first year in 2007, honestly, out gas tank was empty. We were like, ‘Thank goodness the season’s over,’ because we ran out of gas,” he said. “We didn’t have anything left. But when he finally figured out the mindset of the guys, we made it right back to a championship.”
During Tomlin’s rookie year, it did seem like they were running on empty after going 10-6 and winning the AFC North. They lost three of their final four games and then couldn’t get back on track in the postseason. Hearing that might give some fans déjà vu.
Based on what McFadden is saying, it sounds like Tomlin was less strict the following year. He had a good grasp on what the team’s limits were, and it led to a Super Bowl victory. Despite how tough that first year was, it did help the Steelers win a championship.
Toughness and physicality have been themes of Tomlin’s leadership since Day 1, for better or worse. The collective bargaining agreement today protects players a little more, but that hasn’t stopped Tomlin from pushing his players. Maybe that’s part of the reason the Steelers have wilted near the end of the season over recent years.
It doesn’t seem like Tomlin’s methods have alienated many of his players, though. Almost everyone that he’s coached has mostly positive things to say about him, even though he was hard on them. That’s probably due to all the success he’s had. Things haven’t been good enough lately, but Tomlin has a history of winning. Hopefully, he can start doing that again in the postseason.
