Football is family, and for Taylor Sinnott, that rings true.
Sinnott's love of football, and the Steelers, came from her late father, Garth Sinnott, whose family is from Western Pennsylvania. While she grew up in La Mirada, California, Pittsburgh and the Steelers were always a part of her life.
And now, they are an even bigger part as she was selected as the 2024 Steelers Fan of the Year. All 32 teams select a Fan of the Year with each one attending Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans as the guest of the NFL. One winner is selected, which includes fan voting, to be the NFL Fan of the Year.
Sinnott was nominated by her mother, Bernadette Sinnott, because of that passion that started with her father, who unexpectedly passed away in 2023 from a heart attack. The father and daughter had an unbreakable bond through football, so much so that she even brought up football when she delivered his eulogy.
Bernadette Sinnott saw something on social media about nominating someone for the Fan of the Year, and she knew she had to share her daughter's story.
"Her dad's legacy is going to live on no matter what, but now it's a little part of history with her winning this," said her mother. "And we get to share it with everybody. If you would have said a year ago that I would have joy in my heart again, I would have said probably not. But I do have to say it brought joy to my heart."
Sinnott learned that she was selected to represent the Steelers on a call with defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, while she was at work as a Child Life Specialist at a children's hospital in Long Beach, California.
"We're excited for you. We understand you do great work," said Heyward on the call. "Good things happen to good people, and we just want to say thank you.
"We heard your story. It was cool to hear about you and your dad. We think you'll be a great representative of Steelers Nation, and we are happy to have you.
"Just hearing the story about your dad, losing my dad, it warmed my heart to see what you did in the community, how you gave back. We're very excited to have you represent the Steelers. And I love how you take time to take care of your patients."
To say Sinnott was shocked by the news is an understatement.
"Oh my God," was about all she could muster when Heyward shared the news. "I have no words. I really don't know what to say. I am speechless. That's amazing. That's so cool. I am so excited."
Sinnott, who is the Steelers first female nominee for the honor, said once the call ended it all hit her.
"Looking back, there's so many more things that I wish I had said," said Sinnott. "To see him on the screen, it truly was amazing. And just hearing him compare mine and my dad's relationship to his and his dad because I know his dad also passed away when he was young. That was something special to hear from him. And it brought a tearto my eye.
"This means everything. Honestly, I had a really rough couple of years, so to have something this exciting happen to me and for it to still be tied to my dad and making him proud, it's a great thing."
Sinnott said for as long as she remembers she has been a Steelers fan, and she has the pictures to prove it.
"One of the things that you found me wearing most in pictures growing up, I was in Jerome Bettis Steelers jersey," said Sinnott. "I didn't exactly know what it meant then, but it was just something that I grew up with. I didn't know anything else, or want to know anything else, and it was definitely something special.
"Watching games with my dad growing up, we were always watching football on Sundays together, and then as I got older, traditions changed. Having a beer together and watching the game and then eventually going to games together, being able to travel with him.
"He played football growing up. He played on the defense and then he actually coached football at my high school. He definitely taught me the ins and outs of every defensive play, the game in general, but mostly defense. And I think that's where my love for Steelers defense comes from. Thanks to him I was able to watch them and be able to understand what's going on."
While the two went to games on the West Coast whenever they could, they made their first trip together to Pittsburgh in 2018, a memory that will last a lifetime.
"We did this amazing trip a few years back where we flew to Baltimore and we had front row seats in the end zone at the Ravens-Steelers game, and we won that game," recalled Sinnott. "And then we did a road trip from there to Pittsburgh, and we stopped at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Ohio. Then we watched a Thursday night game at Acrisure Stadium.
"Just being able to share memories like that is amazing. And that's really where it all started for me was through my dad. It's kind of exciting to now have this on my own, but still bring him along with me. He never went to the stadium in Las Vegas, but I wore his jersey there to bring him along with me. And I plan to do that every time I go to an away game."
When they weren't at the games, for the most part they would be at home, watching in the living room, and doing their special routines. They would each use the same cup for their drinks every game. They had the same game day meals. And they even adjusted the temperature on the thermostat to match the game day temperature wherever the team was playing.
"Growing up, when I was in middle school, high school, we would always go somewhere to watch the game on Sunday with one of my one of our family friends," said Sinnott. "We would meet at restaurants and watched the game there. Then we started staying home. We had Steelers cups we always used. And my dad was a little crazy. Whatever the temperature of the field was, we would turn the A.C. down to meet the temperature. My mom was always bundled up and freezing and some of our friends, and they would come over and be like, it's game day weather."
In her role as a child life specialist, Sinnott is able to use her love of football to identify with patients, especially some of the young male patients in the hospital. From chats in their hospital rooms to playing video games, Madden in particular, it makes a connection that helps them during tough times.
"We have a lot of teen patients and specifically, for whatever reason, we have a lot of teen boys right now," said Sinnott. "I really try and get on a deeper level with them and talk to them as if I was someone their age, talk about things that they are interested in. I've worked with so many patients and families, and even a lot of my families, their extended families are from Pittsburgh. It connects you so much more."
And being connected, that is what Sinnott thrived on with her father, a connection that was unbreakable. While she is thrilled to represent the Steelers in the fashion she is, there is an empty spot inside of her that her father isn't there to enjoy it with her.
"Daughters and their dads, sometimes when they're younger, they're super close," said Sinnott. "Once they get older, they kind of lose that interest, just because guys aren't always able to relate to their young daughters. So having that as the focal point of our relationship and having something to do together every week and talk about during the week, it was special. I was in group messages with my dad and his friends who are also Steelers fans. Since my dad has passed, I've stayed in the group messages with his friends, and we talk about the Steelers. It's nice to have that tie.
"My dad would be so excited about this. Before he passed, our goal was to go to every single stadium. So, when I went to the game in Vegas, I wore his jersey to bring him along with me. And I'm going to continue doing that.
"I know if he was here with all of this going on, he would absolutely be losing his mind. It's definitely bittersweet. It's a fun celebration, but it is tough just because he's not here to live it with me."
