Buccaneers coach gets personal ahead of matchup vs. Steelers
In case you didn't already know, there's a lot of history between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers teams that are set to face off in Week 6. It all starts with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who was the Buccaneers defensive backs coach from 2001-2005. The layers increase once Tomlin became head coach […]
In case you didn't already know, there's a lot of history between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers teams that are set to face off in Week 6.
It all starts with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who was the Buccaneers defensive backs coach from 2001-2005. The layers increase once Tomlin became head coach of the Steelers in 2007. That allowed him to connect with two current Buccaneers coaches in offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and inside linebackers coach Larry Foote. Both of those guys were players at the time, however, and not coaches.
Regardless, the NFL is a brotherhood and sure enough, the relationships have grown over the years.
"Mike [Tomlin] is a unique, special guy – that’s all you can really say," Leftwich told reporters Thursday. "I learned so much from him. I can’t have more respect for the coach and the human being than I have for [coach Mike Tomlin]. He’s that unique. It was enjoyable to play for him, it’s motivational to play for him. I know you guys see the interviews – that’s really him. The guys that know him around here – that’s really him. He’s a special guy. [He] taught me a lot."
It's easy to see why Leftwich respects Tomlin like he does. But Foote has a whole different view on this week's matchup.
“I’ve got to beat him," Foote said Thursday. "I’ve got to beat him because I know when we see each other, we’re going to talk a little trash. I know how competitive he is, I’ve been telling my guys, ‘Trust me, he’s going to have his guys ready to play.’ I’ve got the utmost respect for him, but he’s one of those guys – you’ve got to beat him because we’re going to talk trash when we see each other.”
You have to love Foote's playful, yet serious, desire to make sure Tomlin doesn't have any bragging rights over him for the near future. Because, when will the Buccaneers and Steelers play each other again? There's no guarantee for another matchup and there's definitely no guarantee either coach will still be on their respective staffs when the two teams meet again. No matter how much success both coaches have had and are currently having.
And at the end of the day, it's competition between friends, which should bring out the best in everyone.
“It’s great going back home. You know, that’s a special place for me," said Foote. Everybody’s been giving me stuff – ‘Don’t walk in the wrong locker room’ – but I’ve got a lot of buddies still over there. Growing up, you want to beat your buddy, your brother – so, it’s added motivation for me because I want to beat those guys."
Featured image via Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
