Who is Dino Tomlin? Son of Steelers HC Mike Tomlin a star WR in the making
It's not a stretch to say Mike Tomlin is one of the greatest NFL coaches of the modern era. He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007 and still has never had a losing season. His ability to lead a football team is tough to match, and teams all over the league are searching for their own version of the Steelers coach.
Tomlin is a former college wide receiver at William & Mary who quickly transitioned into a coaching role once his playing career ended. That inherent pass-catching ability has been passed down to his son, Dino Tomlin, who started his college career at Maryland.
The young receiver did not see much time on the field with Maryland and is in the news this week because he is transferring to Boston College.
Maryland transfer WR Dino Tomlin, the son of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, has enrolled at Boston College.
Tomlin caught two passes for 12 yards in 2021. He worked mostly as a reserve WR and key special teamer for the Terps.
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Dino Tomlin had two catches for 12 yards last season, so he decided to put his name in the transfer portal. Having success on special teams makes him a valuable asset for his new team at Boston College.
Mike Tomlin had hilarious reaction to son's touchdown celebration
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin isn't a fan of celebrations in the end zone when the Steelers score touchdowns. He's known to be more poised and stoic. However, on Saturday, during his son Dino Tomlin's spring football game, he couldn't help but let his guard down and laugh about it.
Dino Tomlin plays wide receiver for Boston College. During their game on Saturday, Dino caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Emmett Morehead and celebrated the touchdown with a dance. This caught the attention of father Mike Tomlin, who was in attendance for the game and left him with mixed emotions.
Taking to Twitter, the Steelers HC tweeted saying he felt the celebration was funny from the standpoint of a father but not so much from the standpoint of a coach. He said:
The Dad in me finds this quite funny … the Coach in me … not so much! Lol.
The Dad in me finds this quite funny … the Coach in me … not so much! Lol. twitter.com/bcfootball/sta…
A new Tomlin risking up the ranks
The younger Tomlin still has a long way to go before his name is on the map as an NFL prospect. But going to a team where he can get more attention on offense is a good strategy.
He entered college as a three-star prospect, and going to a Big Ten program proved there was some hype around his name. Tomlin stands 6-feet tall, and his presence on special teams means he is putting in enough work to be recognized by his coaches. Starting on special teams is a great way to land more playing time for those playing in any position.
Tomlin's son Dino transferred to Boston College? Pencil in Phil Jurkovec as the Steelers next franchise quarterback.
The receiver does have the benefit of his last name being so noteworthy. Even if he doesn't put up great numbers in college, he should end up as an undrafted free agent at the NFL level. A tryout with the Steelers would not be out of the question given how many players are given a shot early in training camp and OTAs.
One former Steelers star seems to be in the young man's corner. That is Antonio Brown, who liked the tweet with the news of the transfer to Boston College. Brown himself is a smaller receiver who came out of a small school in Central Michigan and molded himself into a star. He clearly has no hard feelings towards his old coach, even if things didn't end well in Pittsburgh.
The coach's son can now carve out a new path for himself at Boston College. Even just one good year of production can set him up to at least get an opportunity at the NFL level. And sometimes one opportunity is all someone needs to become a star.