When former Irish footballer Stephanie Roche stopped by to visit Tom McCormack in Dublin, Ireland, McCormack thought she was there to talk about his love of the Steelers ahead of the team's regular season game in Ireland this season.
McCormack was decked out in his Cameron Heyward jersey, complete with the Walter Payton Man of the Year patch, and his Steelers gear was on display throughout the house to show off his passion for the black and gold.
But her visit was for something far more exciting.
She was there to surprise McCormack and share the news that he is the Steelers 2024 International Fan of the Year.
Roche pulled out her phone to share a message from Dan Rooney, the Steelers Director of Business Development and Strategy.
"I'm sending you this message to let you know that you have been selected as the Steelers International Fan of the Year," shared Rooney. "It's a well-deserved honor for a member of Steelers Nation who has been supporting the team from Dublin for many years."
Rooney then added another surprise when he let McCormack know that as a part of winning the honor, he would be joining the other 31 nominees, one from every team, at the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where the Ultimate NFL International Fan of the Year will be announced.
"Thanks again for your support," Rooney continued. "Here we go."
A visibly shaken and surprised McCormack started at the phone, simply uttering in a quiet voice, 'Here we go, Dan.'
He was then presented with a customized jersey touting him as team's International Fan of the Year, and all he could utter was, 'Oh my God. Wow. Thank you, Dan. Thank you, Steelers. Here we go.'
Not long after the news broke that he won the award, McCormack said his phone was buzzing away with congratulatory texts and messages from friends and family.
And he laughed when asked about his initial reaction.
"Having an Irishman with very few words is unusual," laughed McCormack. "But I was stumped. Absolutely ambushed.
"I was absolutely speechless. I got pretty emotional. I have been to the Steelers watch parties they have hosted here in Dublin. But I didn't expect this.
"I love the game. I love the Steelers. I love the city. I just want to bring more people here to see the Steelers."
McCormick is still pinching himself over receiving the honor, as well as the fact that the Steelers will be playing a regular season game at Croke Park in Dublin this season, something the NFL announced earlier this month.
The Steelers were granted rights to the island of Ireland through the NFL's Global Market Program in 2023 and since then have hosted a number of events across the island, including watch parties involving former players and youth football camps with current and former players there.
McCormack attended a preseason game the Steelers played against the Chicago Bears in 1997 at Croke Park as well, but this time it will be different.
"It's surreal," said McCormack. "When they were here in 1997, it was incredible. So, to actually see them for a regular game is just fantastic. To have them come here for a game where there is so much at stake is amazing. It's incredible."
McCormack was introduced to the NFL and Steelers when he made a trip with his University College Dublin rugby team in 1979. He also had family connections to the Pittsburgh area, so it just appeared that everything was right for him to become a Steelers fan.
"In 1979, our freshman rugby team went to Florida to do a six-game tour," recalled McCormack. "That was the first time a lot of us had actually seen American football. Obviously in rugby you can't pass forward where in American football it's the opposite, you can pass the ball forward with pinpoint accuracy and scientific algorithms and everything that goes with it.
"So, a lot of us were fascinated with it. I played out-half and fullback, so that would be an equivalent to quarterback and running back. I enjoyed where the gaps remained, where the blocks were, where people crisscrossed for interceptions and things like that. So completely different than rugby which in those days you kicked for possession. Dan Rooney Sr. even said it would be a great game if you didn't keep kicking the ball out.
"So, my love for American football started then. The Steelers were heading towards the Super Bowl in January of 1980. Whatever we could get or see on television, or through American Forces Radio, or even the beginning of magazines, it was pretty scant the coverage in those days. No internet. Not even a mobile phone.
"It was great to watch Franco Harris run in for a couple. Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, the grace of them catching the ball was just fantastic and in traffic, contested plays as well. All of it masterminded by Terry Bradshaw. I didn't see the first two Super Bowls they won, but I managed to buy the NFL VHS tapes, those big chunky tapes.
"I loved the crossover and the ability to beat a guy with pace and strength. A lot of that correlates to rugby. But the difference with the pads, equipment and technology, I had a voracious appetite to see it.
"At the time, my high school, St. Michael's College was run by the same priests that ran Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Sometimes the priests would go there on ministry. Pittsburgh was always in our heads with priests coming and going. They would talk about their time there, and they would be talking about the football from there. I left high school in 1978, so they'd be talking about the first two Super Bowl wins and things like that. So, the seeds were planted."
It also didn't hurt that the Rooney family had such deep connections to Ireland, including a relationship McCormack was able to form though his work with a PR & Communications firm that helped with the growth and development of the Ireland Funds, which was started by Dan Rooney Sr. and Tony O'Reilly, the CEO of Heinz USA.
"What is particularly special to me is their relationship with the Rooney family," said McCormack. "I moved from high school teaching, into public relations, and I worked with Tony O'Reilly. Him and Dan Rooney worked to develop the Ireland Funds. So, I worked on promoting the black-tie dinners and other events and where the money went to promote peace. Dan Rooney was a peace maker. He also mentored me on football. The way Dan Rooney prioritized inclusivity, later the Rooney Rule was born out of."
It was football that it was all about in the end.
"I loved the power football, precision football," said McCormack. "It's one of the most widely supported teams because of the brand of football they play. Tough defense. Good running backs. Swann, Stallworth and later Hines Ward, the catches they made. Santonio Holmes, I met here in Dublin. I will never forget that Super Bowl game. They played great football.
"The qualities and ethic of what they are on and off the field is what swayed it for me. And the contact and mentorship of Dan Rooney, that meant there would never be another team for me."
While following the Steelers from overseas was tough in the 1980s, modern technology has made it much easier to connect with the team and not miss a minute of news. He has helped with the team's annual World Photo Day, gathering people in Ireland for group photos showing their love of the team.
He loves the opportunity to purchase items from the Steelers Pro Shop, as well as from Kiya Tomlin's shop, whether it's on a trip to the states or ordering online. He has 11 jerseys, with his new International Fan of the Year one a definite instant favorite. Photos and autographed items, including some from Willie Parker, James Farrior, Alan Faneca and Holmes, who have all visited Dublin as part of the Steelers outreach programs there.
But his number one item comes as no surprise.
"It's a photo of Dan Rooney and Bill Cowher holding up the Super Bowl trophy," said McCormack. "Dan Rooney signed it. That is the most treasured item."
