Mike Tomlin pens heartfelt note after presenting Minkah Fitzpatrick with Bart Starr Award

Mike Tomlin was on hand during Super Bowl weekend to personally present Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick with the Bart Starr Award, which honors an NFL player who best shows the intangibles of character, integrity and leadership.

Tomlin, the Steelers’ long-time head coach, shared a photo of the presentation from the Super Bowl Breakfast. And he paid tribute to Fitzpatrick on his X account.

“What an honor it was to present Minkah Fitzpatrick with the Bart Starr Award (Saturday). This young man exemplifies all that is good in this world. His journey of faith is one he holds close to his heart and it shines in all he does. Congratulations, Minkah Fitzpatrick.”

What an honor it was to present Minkah Fitzpatrick with the Bart Starr Award today. This young man exemplifies all that is good in this world. His journey of faith is one he holds close to his heart and it shines in all he does. Congratulations, @minkfitz_21. pic.twitter.com/aGJt3hM4ue

— Mike Tomlin (@CoachTomlin) February 10, 2024

Steelers star became first Alabama player to win Bart Starr Award

What Tomlin didn’t say was he was leaving Vegas the day before the Super Bowl. He said it’s “not his style” to be at the big game if he’s not working. But he needed to be in the city to support several of his players.

The Steelers weren’t competing in the Super Bowl, but several players were in Vegas as nominees for big awards. Defensive lineman Cam Heyward won NFL Man of the Year, an award considered the most prestigious trophy a player can win. The Bart Starr Award recognizes some of the same key traits. Starr, as quarterback of the Packers, won the first two Super Bowls. He played collegiately for Alabama.

Coincidentally, Fitzpatrick became the first Alabama player to win an award named for the former Crimson Tide starter.

Fitzpatrick said he used time away from field to talk to God

In his acceptance speech, the Steelers safety noted that he’d missed a lot of time because of a hamstring injury. Fitzpatrick said being absent from the field allowed him more reflection time off of it.

“When I was told that I won this award, it came as a surprise to me,” Fitzpatrick said in his speech. “This past year I missed a lot of playing time, I missed seven games, I wasn’t able to finish three. So, I had a lot of time to do a lot of reflecting, a lot of time in isolation, a lot of time in meditation along with God, just sitting at his feet. I’ve always prided myself on the fact that I’m always working on myself.

“I’m always working on my relationships,” he said. “I’m always working on being a better man, a better brother, a better son, a better football player. As I was sitting at his feet and just letting him work on me, work on my heart. He revealed a lot to me. He revealed to me that I use this game and my craft at times as an excuse to not fulfill my duties as a brother, to not fulfill my duties as a son. To not be there for my people in my life.

“He also revealed to me that I can fail to be delicate with the beautiful flowers and beautiful people that are placed in my life. This game is not always the most gentle game. It’s not always the most soft-spoken game. Sometimes it’s hard to flip the switch from being a hard-hitting safety to have to be a tender and loving son to a mother who just lost her mother.

Fitzpatrick said sometimes it’s difficult for him to be vulnerable with others. “Whether it be a teammate, a friend or my little brother, it can be hard for me to do those things.”