Means again in February, we wrote an article noting an intensive on-field dialog Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had with UCLA EDGE Oluwafemi Oladejo. Although Oladejo is now a Tennessee Titan, we lastly have a peek at what the 2 mentioned in Cell.
In a multi-part Senior Bowl documentary produced by PanCam Footage, the present caught a part of the dialog between Tomlin and Oladejo. Instantly after Tomlin launched himself, Oladejo requested who the best defensive participant Tomlin had coached earlier than.
“Derrick Brooks,” Tomlin replied. “I used to be the secondary coach. We received a Tremendous Bowl within the early 2000s. It’s not about bodily expertise. It’s about his loopy management and mind. His soccer mind is thru the roof. Valedictorian of his highschool class. He introduced all of that. Introduced all of that.”
Tampa Bay was Mike Tomlin’s first NFL job, a younger coach employed by Tony Dungy to educate a longtime protection suffering from Corridor of Fame expertise. Warren Sapp. John Lynch. Ronde Barber. However Brooks stood above the remaining. An 11-time Professional Bowler, Brooks mixed his bodily and athletic instruments to turn into certainly one of soccer’s biggest center linebackers. The athleticism to hold the seam. The smarts to know precisely what the offense needed to do. The sturdiness to by no means miss time, enjoying in all 16 video games for 14-straight seasons, 224-consecutive outings.
The Buccaneers received the Tremendous Bowl in 2002, ending with the No. 1 protection in factors and yards allowed. Within the championship win over the Oakland Raiders, the protection scored three defensive touchdowns, together with a 44-yard pick-six by Brooks to seal the win.
In Pittsburgh, Tomlin’s coached no scarcity of nice defensive gamers. James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, T.J. Watt, and Cam Heyward. However of their dialog, Tomlin picked Brooks and exhibiting his age as now the longest-tenured coach, needed to clarify to Oladejo his background earlier than changing into the Steelers’ head coach in 2007.
In the end, Oladejo was long-gone by the point Pittsburgh picked on Day Two of the draft and he was unlikely to ever be a severe candidate for the Steelers. However on the Senior Bowl, no coach is extra hands-on than Mike Tomlin who cherishes alternatives to speak as many prospects as he can. On this case, sharing a little bit of knowledge to a now-NFL rookie of what it takes to achieve soccer’s pinnacle.
