The Pittsburgh Steelers were blessed to have Ben Roethlisberger as their quarterback for 18 seasons. One of the characteristics about Roethlisberger that endeared him to fans was his incredible durability. At 6'5" and 240 pounds, the future Hall of Famer was exceptionally difficult to get down. However, even Superman takes an occasional sick day, and Roethlisberger had a host of backups that filled in for him during his numerous injuries, including Michael Vick.
In 2015, the Steelers signed Vick to a one-year contract to serve as a backup along with Landry Jones. He got called up when Roethlisberger injured his knee during the Week 3 matchup against the St. Louis Rams. That injury kept Roethlisberger out for four games. Vick took his place until he suffered a hamstring injury and was replaced by Jones.
While Vick considers Atlanta his football home, he recently said that Head Coach Mike Tomlin holds a special place in his heart. Vick joined another former Steeler, punter Brad Wing, on the Kickin It with Dee Podcast and was asked about his time in the Steel City.
"It was fun, it was a great experience," recalled Vick. "I'm glad that I was able to fill in for Ben. I was able to meet some great players in that locker room and develop some good relationships and the whole experience of playing for Mike T. The coolest part was our Monday meetings and our meetings every day. Mike T come in and you see him at the podium, you get that little snippet of entertainment, we get 35 seconds of it now, but we got a full five to 10 minutes of that. But it all made sense. The way he delivered to the players creates a culture, creates a mindset. He breaks it down so it's understandable."
Wing said he agrees with Vick. He was a journeyman in the NFL and XFL, playing for a few different teams, and now he plays for the San Antonio Brahamas in the XFL.
He did two brief stints in the Steel City. The first was in 2014, and there were highs and lows. Once against the Baltimore Ravens, he was the holder for an extra-point attempt. When the snap was botched, Wing had the foresight to get off a pass to tight end Matt Spaeth for a two-point conversion. That made him the first Aussie in the league to score off a pass.
"I tell everybody that will listen, a team meeting with Coach Tomlin is an amazing experience," said an excited Wing. "He could be talking about the most boring thing, but you're locked in 'cause the way, his choice of words, how he delivers. He's my favorite coach I've ever played for."
Vick and Wing are hardly the first players to express how much they love playing for Tomlin. He has always been known as a players' coach and forms genuine bonds with his players.
In recent years, the Steelers have had several players join the team in part to play for Tomlin. That includes Patrick Queen and Russell Wilson. Recently, Willie Colon shared that Tomlin had helped save his life.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Working His Magic On George Pickens
Currently, Tomlin is using his relationship with wide receiver George Pickens to get the young player mentally in the game while he physically recovers from an injury. Pickens was out for the Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns, which might have been a good thing.
Pickens has struggled to control his emotions in recent weeks. The first Browns game in Week 12 ended with Pickens in a fight with Greg Newsome II. In Week 13, he drew two flags against the Cincinnati Bengals.
