Getty Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Boston College wide receiver Dino Tomlin caught a touchdown pass during his team’s spring game on Saturday, April 15, and Mike Tomlin was on hand to see it. The longtime Pittsburgh Steelers head coach also watched his son celebrate the score with a touchdown dance, which evoked “mixed feelings” — as the ACC Network put it — on the part of the elder Tomlin, who was all smiles after the TD.
“The Dad in me finds this quite funny,” Mike Tomlin tweeted. “The Coach in me … not so much! Lol.”
Dino Tomlin scored on a second-and-goal from the 2-yard line, hauling in a pass from Boston College quarterback Emmett Morehead.
“When you can dance like that, you might as well be targeted in the red zone,” quipped the color commentator on the ACC Network broadcast.
Dino Tomlin, a three-star recruit according to On3, started his college career at Maryland but transferred to Boston College in 2022. He went on to catch 10 passes for 181 yards in his first season with the Eagles. Now a redshirt senior, he’s hoping to see more playing time in 2023, and judging by the words of his head coach, that’s a distinct possibility.
Head Coach Jeff Hafley: ‘Dino Is Going to Play’
Boston College HC Jeff Hafley Speaking 🔊 On WR Dino Tomlin After Today’s Spring Game
After the game, Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley was asked about Dino Tomlin and how he might figure into the team’s plans in 2023.
“Dino’s got the juice. You see him on the field he’s got the energy, he’s got the confidence,” said Hafley before highlighting Dino’s leadership qualities, his “positive energy” and his work ethic.
“He’s a guy that is building a lot of trust with his teammates and his coaches. I just can’t say enough about him as a person, and you win with people like that, right? So Dino is going to play, and his teammates know that. And it’s really cool to see a guy like that step up.”
Dino Tomlin: ‘I’m Definitely More Confident This Year’
Speaking to reporters after the game, Dino Tomlin said, “I just try to take opportunities I got last year some — opportunities I got and keep going with it. I’m definitely more confident this year, another year to show that I’m a real college football player. Yeah, I’m just trying to make more plays and have more fun with it.”
He did acknowledge that his touchdown catch came on what appeared to be a blown coverage.
“It was fun. I wish it would have been more contested,” said the redshirt senior, who is entering his final college season but has yet to make much of an impact
Steelers fans are well-aware that his father played wide receiver at William & Mary, but didn’t come close to realizing his dream of becoming an NFL player.
“I had bigtime football playing aspirations, so for a lot of my playing years, I was miserable, because it wasn’t unfolding in the ways in which I envisioned it,” said Mike Tomlin in July 2020.
“In pursuit of playing aspirations, I didn’t realize all along I was sharpening my sword for coaching. I was really passionate about the game. Playing to win and leading,” he added.
In 2023, Tomlin will be leading the Steelers for a 17th consecutive season. He’s now one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL, having posted a 163-93-2 record in his first 16 seasons. He has also become famous for his many “Tomlinisms,” which he says he uses to succinctly express his thoughts “without damn talking too much.”