Ben Roethlisberger responds to Mike Tomlin’s MAC smack, takes pleasant dig at Steelers coach’s alma mater


Mike Tomlin’s response to a query concerning his dealing with of perceived “entice video games” has garnered some headlines for the reason that Steelers‘ coach concluded his weekly press convention. Tomlin’s Steelers, the NFL‘s final undefeated workforce at 9-0, is making ready to face a Jaguars workforce that has misplaced eight straight video games after defeating the Colts of their season-opener. 

Particularly, Tomlin’s analogy when answering the query is what has acquired probably the most consideration. 

“I am not into the entice sport dialogue,” Tomlin mentioned. “That is the NFL, and greater than something, the fellows know my angle concerning that. We aren’t a Large Ten workforce enjoying a MAC opponent this week. Each time we step right into a stadium, we’re enjoying skilled gamers and coaches, and we have got a ridiculous quantity of respect for that.” 

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, a proud Miami (Ohio) graduate, did not even watch for a reporter to complete asking him about Tomlin’s feedback earlier than weighing in on Wednesday. Roethlisberger was a part of the MAC’s official Twitter deal with’s response to Tomlin’s touch upon Tuesday night time. 

“I have not had an opportunity to get him but,” Roethlisberger mentioned. “He talked about it once more within the workforce assembly, too. I wasn’t too comfortable about that. I am going to get him again, don’t be concerned. I’ve to determine what convention William & Mary (Tomlin’s alma mater) is in, and we’ll say one thing about that.” 

Whereas Tomlin’s remark might be perceived as dig on the MAC, there is not any query how a lot Tomlin and the Steelers worth the expertise that exists inside the convention. Pittsburgh at present has a league-high six gamers on its roster who hail from MAC faculties: Roethlisberger, linebackers Jayrone Elliott (Toledo) and Ola Adeniyi (Toledo), receiver Diontae Johnson (Toledo), offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor (Western Michigan) and Robert Spillane (Western Michigan). The one college that makes up extra of Pittsburgh’s roster than Toledo is the College of Maryland, which has 5 former gamers suiting up for the black and gold. The Rockets are tied with Alabama and Kentucky for second place. 

Since 1970, the Steelers have drafted 18 gamers from MAC faculties, together with Corridor of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert (Kent State) and receiver Antonio Brown (Central Michigan), a member of the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Crew. That complete doesn’t embody linebacker James Harrison (Kent State), a former Defensive Participant of the 12 months who made Pittsburgh’s roster as an undrafted free agent. 

“The MAC has been a really productive convention for us,” Steelers basic supervisor Kevin Colbert mentioned after the 2019 draft, through Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Submit-Gazette. “I do not contemplate the MAC to be a small convention. It is not a Energy 5 convention, however we have been fairly lucky with gamers, beginning with our quarterback.”

The actual message behind Tomlin’s quote on Tuesday is the truth that he and his workforce usually are not taking the Jaguars, regardless of their 1-8 file, evenly. 

“We perceive what we’re going into in Jacksonville,” Tomlin mentioned. “That is a gaggle that is making an attempt to kick our butt. An expert group. A succesful group. And we’re making ready with that understanding.” 





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