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Tomlin: Steelers Different Than Other Teams

The Associated Press

'The more I get to understand it, the more Steeler Nation drives me,' says Coach Mike Tomlin.

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 2, 2009

TAMPA - The Steeler Way.

Get used to that phrase, football fans, because Dan Rooney's venerable franchise has emerged as the most accomplished organization of the modern NFL era.

And with 36-year-old coach Mike Tomlin and 26-year-old quarterback Ben Roethlisberger securely in place, Pittsburgh is poised to add to its record haul of six Super Bowl rings.

"It was a performance for the ages,'' NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on the morning after Pittsburgh's riveting 27-23 Super Bowl triumph against Arizona at Raymond James Stadium.

Just when all those Terrible Towels appeared destined for the NFL's dustbin, Roethlisberger capped a 78-yard drive by finding Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes in the back-right corner from six yards out for the winning score with 35 seconds remaining.

Call it historical grand larceny in the north end zone, directly under Tampa's pirate ship.

That acrobatic touchdown triggered a 1,020-mile roar stretching from Dale Mabry Highway to Forbes Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh.

"When you're in other organizations, you recognize that it's different and you respect it,'' Tomlin said of the singular bond between the organization and Steeler Nation. "Until you are part of it, you have no idea of the depths. It's generational, passed down from father to son. I know the more I get to understand it, the more Steeler Nation drives me. I want to win for them because they are that special.''

The Steeler Way means no excuses.

Injuries, bad weather and tough schedules become mere additional challenges to be overcome.

"We like lunch-pail players,'' said 57-year-old Marty Singer, who moved from New York to Pittsburgh in 1973. "Pittsburgh is not a city of dilettantes. Pittsburgh fans gravitate toward people who are real, people who have persevered. Mike Tomlin is a great spokesman for the organization. This city has really taken to him.''

Instead of finding an isolated mansion, Tomlin lives in Squirrel Hill, "right off a main drag,'' according to Singer. Rooney still resides in the house he grew up in, within blocks of Heinz Field.

The Steeler Way focuses on substance over style.

Tomlin arrived for today's news conference in jeans and an untucked shirt. Holmes chose the same fashion statement.

Pure Pittsburgh.

Asked about his team's chances of winning it all again next season, Tomlin bristled at the term "repeat.''

"That special group of men in that locker room last night at the end of that game, that's gone forever,'' he said. "A lot of the faces will be the same, but nothing stays the same in this game. You won't hear me say words like 'repeat' or 'defending' because it will be brand new.''

While the Super Bowl victory offered fresh validation of the Steeler Way, the week leading up to the game reinforced the Tampa Bay area's reputation as an accommodating destination for the National Football League's showcase event.

"Let me just take a minute to thank all of you, and most importantly, our host, the people of Tampa Bay,'' Goodell said. "We're grateful to everybody here who did such a spectacular job for us in making sure that we all had a good week — our visitors had a great week.''

No surprise there. It's the Tampa Way.

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