Mike Tomlin feels like an easy guy to root for, especially for Erin Andrews.
Sure, he can come across as abrasive, like he did after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. Tomlin might’ve told an official to “Get the f*ck” out of his face and snapped at a reporter who asked whether the loss might snowball, but in general, he’s known for being a great quote.
Which is why Andrews was so nervous to interview the longtime Steelers head coach.
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So nervous that she nearly had a panic attack.
“Man, I was so nervous going into that interview,” Andrews told her co-host Charissa Thompson on their Calm Down podcast. “I didn’t sleep the night before… There are people that — and it’s not like a starstruck thing, even though I am starstruck — I don’t really get to hang around Mike Tomlin very often. We don’t have the Steelers that often; that was my first time really ever sitting down with him.
“And, somebody like him, who I’ve always looked up to — now this Hard Knocks series has been amazing — you know he can sniff out bullsh*t really, really quick. And somebody like that, I never wanted him to think that I am that. And that’s not confidence, but I just really, really wanted to do a good job because him saying yes to this sit down meant so much to me.”
But she didn’t get sleep the night before.
As she went through her final questions and final looks, Andrews almost snapped. She told Thompson that she was having a “panic attack” because too many external forces were working against her.
“I just wanted to get zen, and I just wanted to do a good job,” she said.
Tomlin sat down.
Andrews was still so nervous that she thought to herself, “Am I going to pass out?”
These are all the mind games that Andrews is playing with herself. Meanwhile, Tomlin made a “funny” quip about Tampa because he coached defensive backs with the Buccaneers from 2001-05, and Andrews has some roots there herself.
Then, something unexpected happened in what can only be described as a cosmic accident. The wreath hanging in the background fell with a loud crash, shattering the ornaments.
Andrews, still nervous, couldn’t help but laugh.
“Coach, welcome to NFL on Fox, so great to see you, so glad you don’t need stitches right now.”
“It was awesome,” she added.
Almost having a panic attack? Not so much.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.