"Coaching is what I do. Being a dad is who I am."
Those words have been uttered by Coach Mike Tomlin numerous times.
They are words the father of three takes to heart, knowing the important role he plays in his kid's lives.
And they are words he hopes his players take to heart as well, especially those who will be celebrating their first Father's Day today.
"It's awesome being a dad," said quarterback Landry Jones. "It's one of the greatest blessings ever. I love my son so much and I don't even really know him that well yet. It's a great blessing. It's going to be so much fun seeing him grow up, his personality. It's a great blessing."
Jones is the newest dad on the team after his wife Whitney gave birth to their son, Zeke, on June 2, during the team's OTAs. Jones missed one OTA session, back to work the next day, but is excited to have time off until training camp to spend with his new bundle of joy.
"My wife was awesome," said Jones. "During the days we had OTAs and minicamp she let me sleep through the night so I got some good sleep. But on the other days we shared the duties and I loved it.
"It's a miracle. A blessing from God. We are so lucky to have this little guy and be able to raise him."
Cameron Heyward feels the same way. His wife, Allie, gave birth to Callen this offseason and it's been life-changing for him.
"Every day there is something new going on whether it's a smile, a laugh," said Heyward. "When I come home he is excited and we play. Every month you are like it's better than the last month. You are excited to be around him and hopefully he is excited to be around me.
"I can't even explain it. It's completely different when you have your first child. You can talk about it, but until you experience it. You are like wow, I am finally a dad and I am overwhelmed with joy and I don't want to mess this up."
Jordan Dangerfield is looking forward to his first Father's Day with his three-month old son Josiah, and marvels over the joy being a father brings him on a daily basis.
"My dad passed in 2009, so it's going to be overwhelming to get the feeling he had on that day," said Dangerfield. "I am going to cherish it. It's going to feel like another birthday.
"It's been a blessing being a father. It's indescribable. The love is indescribable. I cherish every second, moment, everything I get with him. I have never felt anything like this before."
Greg Warren smiled at the thought of his first Father's Day, but nothing close to the smile he has when he talks about his son, Grant, who his wife Ashley gave birth to this offseason.
"It's just so cool," said Warren, his eyes beaming with love. "Being able to see growth and development in a human being every single day is the most unbelievable thing I have watched. They change so much every day. Grant for us is the coolest little guy. It's fun to watch him interact and just grow.
"People try to tell you what to expect and they explain their experience to you. For us, until we went through it, it was eye opening how amazing it all is."
