Mike Tomlin, Winning Culture Convinced Myles Jack to Join Steelers
PITTSBURGH — Myles Jack has experienced winning before. In 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars were as close as they could be to the Super Bowl against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Jack picked up a fumble and took it back for a touchdown, but was ruled down by contact. Ever since then with some debate about the missed call, the Jaguars have not been back to the playoffs. Jack himself has not experienced winning since then.
One of those wins to even get there was in Pittsburgh, however. He has plenty of experience feeling good about himself in Heinz Field. When it came down to where Jack was in his career, though, he just wants to win. After being released by the Jaguars, Jack is ready to win, and win a lot.
“When you lose so many games, it can steal your spirit,” Jack said. “At this point in my career, I just really want to win games. I want to be a part of something. I want to go home Sunday night and on Monday morning be happy. I’m eager to win. With that comes championships. There’s nothing else that can sell me to a team. I just want to win. That’s what I’m here to do.”
The Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016. This is a marriage that is trying to find the desire for both, and that is winning games, and meaningful ones at that. The Steelers are clearly still retooling and in the process of changing personnel. A player like Jack who is athletic and can cover just about anyone in the middle of the defense is the type of player they need. Thus, Cam Heyward and Mike Tomlin both put on the recruiting strategies for Jack. It was ultimately Tomlin’s phone call that got Jack to sign the dotted line in Pittsburgh.
“Once I got on the phone with Coach Tomlin and got to speak with him, the first he said was, ‘we’re trying to win a championship and we need you on defense’, so once he said that, it was a no brainer,” Jack said. “That’s what I’m here to do. That’s all I want to do. I want to get work and play football.”
Tomlin was not the only one to talk with Jack. Linebackers coach Brian Flores also got to talk to Jack after things started to turn fast. Playing for a coach like Flores is something that Jack is looking forward to doing. Moreover, he sees a lot of similarities between himself and Flores given the positions they are in.
“He’s a great coach,” Jack said. “I saw what he did last year in Miami and how he turned that whole thing around. I think it was amazing what he did. I got to talk to Coach Flores. We both came to the agreement that we both have something to prove. With his situation and then with me getting released, I feel like I got a second chance at life. We talked a lot about that connection. I am very excited to get to work with him.”
Jack will step into the unit and be the best linebacker on the team right away. In a critical year for Devin Bush, it will help to have someone like Jack next to him to potentially alleviate some pressure on him. Jack will look to have a bit of a bounce-back season himself after a rough 2021, but the upside is noticeable.
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