Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach
Commencement speech at Saint Vincent College, 2008
Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, delivered the commencement address at Saint Vincent College in 2008. With a successful career in coaching and a Super Bowl victory under his belt, Tomlin shared his insights on leadership, determination, and teamwork.He told students to to pursue their own goals with dedication and a winning spirit.10 top life lessons by
- Reflect on Your Journey: The speaker reflects on his own experiences and encourages graduates to appreciate the journey and the memories they’ve created during their time at college.
- Stay Focused in a Distracted World: The speaker acknowledges the distractions and challenges in the modern world and urges graduates to stay focused on their goals and assignments.
- Be Clear and Concise in Your Message: The speaker emphasizes the importance of clarity and conciseness in conveying your message to avoid misunderstandings and ensure success.
- Trust Your Preparation: Graduates are encouraged to have confidence in the preparation they’ve received and trust their abilities to overcome challenges.
- Life is About Sustaining and Rebounding: Just as in sports, life is about sustaining, rebounding, and responding to setbacks. The first moments don’t define the outcome; it’s about continuous effort and resilience.
- Play to Win with Integrity and Impact: Graduates are challenged to approach life with the mindset of “playing to win,” not just in terms of personal success but also in making a positive impact on the world and inspiring others.
- Never Stop Dreaming: The speaker emphasizes the importance of continuing to dream and not letting the realities of life diminish those dreams. Graduates are urged to take daily action to make their dreams a reality.
- Impact and Inspire Others: The final lesson focuses on the importance of making a difference in the lives of others and leaving a positive legacy by impacting and inspiring those around them.
- Remember the Spirit of Youthful Dreaming: Graduates are encouraged to maintain their youthful and limitless dreaming, while taking action to turn those dreams into reality.
- Share Stories and Celebrate Achievements: The speaker expresses the desire to meet the graduates again in a victory lane where they can share stories and celebrate their accomplishments.
Best quotes of ‘s speech
The game of life, like football, is about sustaining, rebounding, responding. The breaks are the breaks.Video of ‘s Commencement speech at Saint Vincent College
“You must continue to dream the wild dream that you dreamed when you were young “
Commencement speech transcript
Some excerpts as found in Post Gazette:
“I want to encourage you to trust your preparation,” Tomlin said as if he were talking to Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison instead of all those young faces looking back at him. “Trust what it is that you’ve done here. I tell you that you are prepared for the game of life. “
“I’d like to reassure you that the first five minutes of the game do not determine the outcome. We might burst out of these doors and have great success right away, but we can’t wear ourselves out patting ourselves on the back. Or we might burst out of those doors and trip over a cord or something and fall flat on our face. The first five minutes never determine the outcome of the game. …
“I’d like to encourage this group to attack and to play to win. But it’s also about how you play the game of life. You play with great integrity and honor and class. You must give back to your community and make this a better place to live for all of us. …
“Lastly — and I mandate this — you must continue to dream the wild dreams that you dreamed when you were young. Dream, and dream big. But you have to make a daily commitment to take action to make your dreams a reality.”
Saint Vincent College
2008