PITTSBURGH — Mike Tomlin has coached some fabulous players during his 14 seasons with the Steelers. Troy Polamalu made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Alan Faneca, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown are going to get there. Maurkice Pouncey and T.J. Watt appear to be on their way. Hines Ward will be a near-miss.
But I'm not sure Tomlin ever gushed about any of those extraordinary players the way he has about JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Tomlin made his strongest comments about Smith-Schuster last week to Bob Labriola of Steelers.com during their weekly chat. The story appeared Wednesday before the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens, 19-14, to run their record to 11-0. Smith-Schuster had eight catches and scored the team's only offensive touchdown on a 1-yard pass from Roethlisberger.
Tomlin spoke to Labriola about what Smith-Schuster brings to the unbeaten Steelers.
"I just think he brings a can-do attitude always," Tomlin said. "He doesn't look at a problem and ponder the problem. He ponders the possibilities. There's an outlook that's contagious and is helpful, particularly to the inexperienced."
Tomlin talked about Smith-Schuster's toughness, which was seen again Wednesday when he stiff-armed Ravens cornerback Tramon Williams and ran over him after catching a short pass.
"He is physically and mentally tough," he said. "He has a base about him that makes him tough to deal with in the space in which he plays. He's bigger and stronger than most of the people he competes against in the space in which he works. That's why he has been particularly effective on possession downs making plays at the sticks and working the interior portions of the field. He's just a guy who's really comfortable in traffic."
Tomlin told Steelers.com that Smith-Schuster's constant presence on social media should not be taken to mean that he's a me-first guy.
"That is so far from the truth," he said. "Anybody who knows him, his teammates know he is an energy-bringer. He is a team player first. If people miss that, then that's a shame."
Finally, Tomlin predicted Smith-Schuster, who celebrated his 24th birthday Nov. 22, will be a team captain one day.
"If you will, he is the leader of the young guns. He's probably the most experienced of the young guns, but they gravitate toward him," he said. "You see it in outside-the-facility-like things. The young guys want to know where JuJu lives so they can live close to JuJu. He has become that guy."
All of it made for terrific reading.
Like any coach, Tomlin has his favorites.
I remember him telling me a year ago about Pouncey's value to the team going beyond what he does on the field.
"Not enough is said about the leader that he is," he said. "If you ask any of those men in that locker room, he is the unquestioned leader. He's the type of leader that gives them what they need, not necessarily what they want. He's a truth-teller. Very transparent. His actions speaker louder than his words. You want to know how to be a pro, you want to know how to prepare, you want to know how to play, just watch him."
Tomlin did an incredible 3-minute video tribute to Heath Miller when Miller retired after the 2015 season.
"It's been an honor and a pleasure to coach him. He's not low-maintenance. He's been no-maintenance. He's always put the Pittsburgh Steelers first," he said. "I don't know that there's been a guy I've been around that's like him. I don't know that I've ever seen a regrettable moment in him. He's the type of person that I want my boys to be."
Powerful stuff.
But Tomlin's observations about Smith-Schuster also are eye-catching.
Roethlisberger has said similar things about Smith-Schuster, praising him for his toughness, his love of football and life and his unselfishness during an era when many wide receivers are divas. I've always believed Miller and Pouncey are 1 and 1A as Roethlisberger's favorite teammates. I'm thinking now that Smith-Schuster has climbed into third place.
It's no wonder that Roethlisberger loves Smith-Schuster as a teammate. Smith-Schuster had a combined 169 catches for 2,343 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2017 and 2018 and was the Steelers' MVP in 2018. His numbers fell dramatically last season when he played all but 1 1/2 games with Mason Rudolph or Duck Hodges as his quarterback instead of the injured Roethlisberger. Those numbers have jumped back up again this season. Thirty-six of Smith-Schuster's team-best 66 catches have gone for first downs. He ranks second on the team behind Chase Claypool with six touchdown catches.
"I'm glad he's on my team," Roethlisberger has said of Smith-Schuster. "I hope I can play with him for a long time."
Before this season, I was convinced Roethlisberger, at 38 and in his 17th NFL season, would outlast Smith-Schuster, who will be a free agent after the season, with the Steelers because of the team's ever-present salary-cap issues. I figured the Steelers wouldn't want to bring Smith-Schuster back if he had another bad season or that he would price himself off the team if he had another big year.
Now, I'm convinced the Steelers are going to find a way to keep Smith-Schuster with a new contract. The big reason is his play, obviously. But just as important is the love Tomlin and Roethlisberger have for him.
How do the Steelers not give their Hall of Fame-caliber coach and quarterback what they want?
