When the Pittsburgh Steelers brought in new Head Coach Mike Tomlin for the 2007 season, he wasn’t as popular as he is today. He certainly wasn’t loved by his players at first. Tomlin had the tough task of taking over for the iconic Bill Cowher, whose leadership had guided the Steelers to a Super Bowl win just a few years prior. Tomlin’s arrival marked a shift in the team’s culture, and his approach was much different from Cowher's.
Tomlin wanted to make his imprint felt from day one, and that meant setting the tone with intense and grueling practices. His no-nonsense style was a departure from what many players were used to, and it didn’t immediately win him favor in the locker room. But for someone like former safety Ryan Clark, who still shares a strong bond with Tomlin today, it was a challenge that would ultimately pay off.
During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Clark shared a wild story about how he and his teammates made a promise to Tomlin that ended up helping them win the 2008 Super Bowl. What started as a tough, sometimes uncomfortable dynamic turned into a commitment that fueled the Steelers’ championship run. That promise and the way Tomlin pushed his players would define a Super Bowl-winning season and cement his legacy in Pittsburgh history forever.
"He was awful Seth," Clark said. "He was an awful, awful man. He was a very mean, mean man too. That first year we were coming from Coach Cowher, who is obviously one of the greatest coaches of all-time. I felt like [Mike Tomlin] just wanted to make sure he put his imprint on the team. We hit more than we ever did at practice. We worked longer than we ever did at practice. He wanted to show us what we had to be. We kind of wore down that season. I don’t know if you remember, but Fred Taylor, who is now my partner -- they rushed for like 200 yards in the last game of the season and in the first game of the playoffs against us."
Clark explained how the Steelers struggled during their first season under Tomlin to stay at full health, and it became evident in their playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where they fell 31-29. He shared a wild story about how that defeat served as a wake-up call for the players.
It was in the aftermath of that loss that they told Tomlin he needed to ease up on the grueling practices to keep them healthy for Sundays. The conversation marked a turning point in their relationship and helped set the stage for the Steelers' Super Bowl run the following season.
"We all had a conversation with him the next year and we said, 'Coach, if you get us to Sunday ready to play and healthy, we will get you a ring,'" Clark said. "He backed off and became a coach that allowed us to weigh in and we won a Super Bowl."
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Proves Why He's Such A Great Leader
In Tomlin's first season, he led the Steelers to a 10-6 record, but they were knocked out of the playoffs by the Jaguars. As a great leader, Tomlin was open to feedback from the players, and that willingness to listen proved crucial.
The advice they gave him about scaling back practices helped keep the defense healthy and ready for Sundays, ultimately fueling the Steelers' 2008 Super Bowl victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
It’s fascinating to hear Clark recount how they had to tell their new head coach that his intense approach was actually hurting them. It’s not something most coaches would accept, but Tomlin wasn’t like most coaches. He trusted his players and was willing to adjust, which played a key role in their championship run.
