Mike Tomlin Praises Heinz Field Cleaning Staff, Reps Uniform at Practice

It wasn't a coaching tactic, injuries, or on-field work that had Steelers Nation buzzing on Friday. It was a red shirt head coach Mike Tomlin sported that caught the eye of media and fans.

Tomlin typically reps a black Steelers shirt around the team's practices but changed it up on Friday. Despite 80-degree heat in Pittsburgh, the head coach layered his usual black long sleeve with a red polo that read "Cleaning Ambassador" on the back.

When asked about the shirt during his post-practice press conference, Tomlin praised the Heinz Field cleaning staff for their hard work during the pandemic.

"We have some really quality service people around here that are working their tails off to keep us safe," Tomlin said. "I just wanted to show my appreciation for the work that they do by wearing their uniform and encouraging guys to pause and to be thankful for the services provided. Hopefully, brighten their day if given an opportunity. We need to be conscious of the contributions of everyone. It takes everyone within our organization to put together a successful day and, thus, a successful season. So we just wanted that on the front of our consciousness today. Wearing the shirt is a means of doing that."

The Heinz Field staff had the unique duty to prepare the stadium for training camp once the Steelers were unable to travel to St. Vincent College.

The Steelers coach has reiterated that it's a group effort to make the season possible this year. He certainly made sure everyone knew that group includes those behind the scenes.

I mean it when I say it takes everyone within our organization to have a successful day, and therefore a successful season. https://t.co/VtjFahuLWs
— Mike Tomlin (@CoachTomlin) August 21, 2020

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.