Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin sat down for an exclusive fan forum conference call with Steelers Nation Unite members on Wednesday afternoon. In a Q&A session that was only available through Steelers Nation Unite's Weekly Huddle, this unique opportunity gave fans an opportunity to go one-on-one with the Steelers' head coach and chat about the upcoming season, the team's potential and the expectations for 2015.
While the majority of the questions focused on what's taking place on the field, the last question of the day came from SNU member Nancy in Colorado, who wanted to hear from Tomlin about what it's like to see Steelers Nation turning out in support for the team every time they play.
Basing the question off of a game in Denver when Steelers Nation made their presence felt for a Steelers road victory, Tomlin made his feelings about the impact and the passion of Steelers fans clearly known.
"It's probably one of the most surreal things that you experience," said Tomlin. "An earlier caller was talking about moments where you pinch yourself and you really have an opportunity to take it in, and for me that's always the case when that transpires."
More recently, Steelers Nation had a very large presence in road stadiums during the 2014 season. That presence isn't something that goes unnoticed by the Steelers players or coaches, either.
"When the home team is having to use silent counts or we get the chants of 'Here We Go, Steelers' late in the ballgame, it's something that's really special and something that I always appreciate," Tomlin said.
One instance from the 2014 campaign stuck out in particular for Tomlin – the takeover by Steelers fans in Atlanta during Week 15, a 27-20 Steelers win.
"It was incredible the type of support that we had," said Tomlin. "At the hotel from the time that we arrived in town and throughout the game and in the waning moments of the game when we had control of the game – to see our fans take over a stadium and wave the Terrible Towels is something really special that never gets old."
Steelers Nation Unite members rewarded as Steelers fans make their presence known at the Georgia Dome.
There's no doubt that this trend will continue into 2015, as Steelers fans across the world eagerly anticipate the start of training camp, and ultimately, the 2015 regular season.
With that will come more exciting opportunities to connect directly with Steelers that are only available as a member of Steelers Nation Unite.
To join Steelers Nation Unite and be officially recognized as a member of Steelers Nation, visit http://steelersnationunite.com/ or the 'Steelers Nation Unite' page on the Steelers mobile app. Joining is free, quick and easy and only requires an email address and a password to sign up.
