In spite of the fact that they spent several years coaching together, and even won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, today will be the first time that Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden ever went up against one another on opposite sidelines.
Tomlin spoke of Gruden’s influence on him earlier in the week. He was a second-year defensive backs coach when the Buccaneers acquired Gruden from the Raiders to take over their head coaching position. Despite his young age, Gruden says that Tomlin influenced him as well.