Mike Tomlin has been one of the best coaches in the NFL for several years, but he’s not perfect. In recent years, Tomlin has received a lot of criticism, mainly because of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ lack of playoff success. Even some of his former players, like Ryan Clark and James Harrison, have said some less positive things about Tomlin. Former NFL corner Asante Samuel recently took umbrage at those comments.
“James Deebo Harrison and Ryan Clark, y’all step to the table because y’all are weak as hell,” Samuel said recently on his podcast, Say What Needs To Be Said. “Talking behind y’all former coach’s back when y’all grown ass men had a chance to handle the situation when he coached y’all.
“You’re a grown man playing in the NFL. Don’t think, all of a sudden, you’re a grown man because the NFL is over with, and now you can attack your old coach. That’s weak. You should’ve did it when you had the opportunity on the team, right then and there.”
To be clear, it’s not like Clark or Harrison have bashed Tomlin throughout this entire offseason. Clark has commented about the Steelers and Tomlin potentially needing to part ways because of their postseason failures. He’s also made it clear that he still thinks Tomlin is a great coach. It’s not like he’s attacking Tomlin for things that have been going on for years.
Harrison’s comments weren’t really hurtful, either. He explained that one thing that he loves and hates about Tomlin is that he’s a players’ coach. Half of that statement shows how he appreciates Tomlin. Harrison simply acknowledged that Tomlin isn’t perfect and disagreed with how he handled some things.
Also, Harrison might have brought up his issues with Tomlin while he was playing for the Steelers. His tenure with the team ended suddenly near the end of the 2017 season, when he was cut after expressing how he didn’t like his role on the defense.
Despite that, Samuel continued calling out Clark and Harrison.
“How embarrassing is this to come on a podcast and talk about your coach, but y’all allowed this to go on, and y’all call y’all selves leaders? This is terrible. What kind of fake Deebo have y’all created or impersonated in Pittsburgh? I don’t know that type of Deebo…
“This fake Deebo because he can lift a bunch of weights. The real Deebo isn’t scared to confront his teammates or check someone’s temperature.”
Deebo is Harrison’s nickname, coming from a character named Deebo in the movie Friday. In the film, Deebo is a massive, scary character, and Harrison’s attitude on the field mirrored that. However, Samuel seems to believe that Harrison is a fake tough guy who doesn’t live up to his nickname.
If you asked most of the people that Harrison played against, they’d probably disagree with Samuel. Harrison was one of the most feared players of his generation, often delivering some massive hits. It wasn’t just his physique that earned him that nickname.
However, Samuel is allowed to criticize Harrison and Clark, just like they’re allowed to criticize Tomlin. Clark is an ESPN analyst, and it’s good that he tries to minimize his bias towards his former team. Just because they played for Tomlin doesn’t mean they should ignore all of his flaws.
Tomlin likely understands that he’s going to get criticized, too. That’s part of the job. This isn’t the first offseason where he’s been bashed by members of the media. If Tomlin’s skin was thin enough to be offended by anything Clark or Harrison have said, then he probably wouldn’t be in the position that he’s in today.
