Steelers players reveal their favorite Mike 'Tomlinisms'

It’s well-documented that Mike Tomlin brings his own type of coach-speak to the NFL profession. The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach tosses out several sayings and phrases over the course of a season, known affectionately as “Tomlinisms.”

Now that training camp is in full swing, players are hearing those “Tomlinisms” thrown out regularly. So, it’s only fair to ask, what are some of their favorite sayings to hear during this time of year. Several Steelers players chimed in.

A few of the phrases mentioned included, “Don’t get caught in the minutiae,” “We do not care how you got here,” and, of course, “The standard is the standard.”

Those were just a few that current players tossed out. The Steelers’ social media team posted a video with more “Tomlinisms” that received a mention:

What's your favorite Tomlinism? ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/u7iJrJYFEq

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 4, 2023

Whatever it takes to motivate your team, right?

Some of those might sound a little cheesy, but who are we to question Tomlin? After all, the man has been the head coach in Pittsburgh since 2007 and has never finished a season with a losing record. In today’s NFL era, it’s almost impossible to accomplish both feats.

He also led the franchise to a Super Bowl win. So, maybe there’s something to these catchphrases.

What’s Mike Tomlin’s favorite saying?

We’ve heard from the players, but what is Mike Tomlin’s favorite “Tomlinism?” The long-tenured head coach actually talked about that in a video for Instagram last year.

“One of the favorite ones I like to talk about is, it’s not what you’re capable of, but it’s about what you’re willing to do,” Tomlin said in a 2022 video. “When I say that I mean, often times, we put our expectations based on our capabilities. And, really, we should put our expectations based on performance, based on the work we put in.

“It applies to football, but it applies to every component of life. Man, if you put in adequate work, you should expect adequate compensation. But we all expect to be highly-compensated. It’s something I challenge myself with, it’s something I challenge the team with.”

And you thought Tomlin only used these phrases to motivate a football team. Turns out, they’re pretty relevant in life, too. So, if you’re ever having a bad day or need some sort of motivation, just pull out one of these quotes.

Or, you could just watch football. That always makes us feel better.

Pittsburgh steps on the field for its first preseason game on Friday, Aug. 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.