Former NFL quarterback and current analyst Chris Simms crossed paths with Mike Tomlin when Simms was beginning his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tomlin was the team’s defensive backs coach. While the defensive back’s coach rarely makes an impression on the quarterback, that wasn’t the case for Simms and Tomlin. On an episode of God Bless Football, Simms talked about the impact Tomlin had on him and praised him for being a “special” coach with an elite ability to communicate.
“Tomlin’s got a magic way about him. He’s the greatest communicator I was ever around. He’s the greatest motivator I was ever around. He’s special that way,” Simms said. “Tomlin can make it and be the most real motherfucker you’ve ever seen and say stuff to you that’s hard and cuts through the deep of your soul. But you still look at \[it\] and go, ‘He cares about me.’ He says it in a way that makes you go, ‘He cares about me. That wasn’t degrading. He just kind of talked to me like a man, and was like, hey, man up or stop being stupid.’ And you’re like, ‘Damn, I feel better.’ He’s magical that way and that’s why they never freaking lose there in Pittsburgh.”
Tomlin’s communication has always been top-notch publicly, and we’ve gotten a glimpse of it behind the scenes [through the first two episodes of Hard Knocks](https://steelersdepot.com/2024/12/kozora-all-the-details-i-noticed-in-hard-knocks-episode-2/). It’s impressive the way he clearly communicates his message and isn’t afraid to be honest with guys, and he always has a motivational message and gets his players ready to go.
Players want to play for Tomlin, and it’s clear that he impacts every single player. Even before he was a head coach, he made an impact on Simms despite not working much with him at all, and as a head coach, he’s able to impart his wisdom to everyone on the roster. With the Steelers at 10-3, Tomlin is getting some NFL Coach of the Year recognition, an award that’s eluded him (although he doesn’t seem to mind) and is long overdue. There’s no doubt that Tomlin is one of the best leaders in football, and the way he gets through to players and can handle personalities is second to none in the league.
Simms is one of many players through the years who Tomlin has positively impacted, and it’s a number that will continue to grow as long as Tomlin is around the league. The way he motivates guys is also conducive to winning. Players want to go out and play their best for him, and that’s why the Steelers have been the most consistent franchise during Tomlin’s tenure as Pittsburgh’s head coach. If the Steelers are able to make a run this season, the respect for Tomlin leaguewide should only grow.