Tomlin: Steelers Not Focused on Tik-Tok Challenges, But Players Have ‘Individual Responsibilities as Adults’

Mike Tomlin said that he doesn’t spend a lot of time addressing things like social media trends, but he did emphasize the individual responsibility of his players when asked indirectly about wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster performing the milk crate challenge on Tuesday.

Smith-Schuster was seen on video posted to social media completing the challenge successfully, something that has not been the case for most that attempted the challenge, which involves climbing up and then back down a series of stacked-up milk crates.

https://twitter.com/MattLight/status/1432380003988168705?s=20

The trend has been attempted by many social media users, particularly those on Tik Tok, and Seattle Seahawks mascot Blitz and Indianapolis Colts mascot Blue also successfully performed the feat this week.

I see ya @blue #MilkCrateChallenge #CrateChallenge #AlwaysCompete pic.twitter.com/dJeKqkd0j9

— Blitz the Seahawk (@BlitzTheSeahawk) August 25, 2021

But the rate of success has been low among those that have tried it, there have been injuries reported, and others have emphasized the danger involved in falling from several feet onto hard plastic crates.

“It’s perhaps even worse than falling from a ladder,” orthopedic surgeon Shawn Anthony told the Washington Post. “It’s very difficult to brace yourself from the falls I’ve seen in these videos. They’re putting their joints at an even higher risk for injury.”

Tomlin was asked on Tuesday whether he had spent any time instructing his team on the dangers of such challenges, and said he had not, but that players have a responsibility to take care of themselves off the field.

“I don’t spend a lot of time focusing on those things,” he said. “If you’re talking about those things and not football, you’re setting yourself up for failure. We’re a group that’s singularly, professionally focused on what it is that we have to do and guys have individual responsibilities as adults.”

Smith-Schuster has not been made available to the media since participating in the challenge.