Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will have the late Dan Rooney in his thoughts when the Steelers play the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland on Sunday. He knows how much Rooney cared about the Emerald Isle.
“I think a lot about the late Ambassador (Dan) Rooney and how fired up he would be about this trip, and how important the development of this trip was for him,” Tomlin said. “And so I’ve been thinking a lot about it. I’m sure I’ll be thinking a lot about it this week, and I certainly will be thinking a lot about him when we’re there.
“Man, you talk about a guy who certainly had a lot of passion for Ireland, and obviously for the Steelers, and then serving as ambassador to Ireland. I’m sure he’s going to be smiling down at us this weekend.”
Not only do the Steelers have marketing rights to the area, but the late Dan Rooney served as a U.S. Ambassador under President Barack Obama. He served in this position from 2009-2012.
Dan Rooney also co-founded The Ireland Fund in 1976 to promote and support peace, culture, education, and community development throughout the island of Ireland and Irish-related causes around the world.
In June of 2024, Tomlin reflected on Dan Rooney and what he meant to him in his career. Rooney hired Tomlin as the Steelers head coach on Jan. 22, 2007.
Tomlin, who was 34 at the time, was rather unknown in league circles, but Rooney was blown away by him during their interview. One report said the Steelers management team was “dazzled” by Tomlin’s poise, ideas, enthusiasm and coaching philosophies.
“2007, man, I met an elderly dude named Dan Rooney that owned the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s known for the Rooney Rule and things of that nature. Among other things, obviously. But more than that, man, that dude was a friend of mine. We had zero in common, obviously … personally. But man I loved that dude, man,” Tomlin said at the “The Next Up” conference in late May, via DeeLovesSports on X.
Croke Park played host to a preseason game between the Steelers and Chicago Bears back in 1997. That was the only other time that the Steelers have played in Ireland. Sunday will be the first regular season game played in Ireland.
It will be the first time a game between two teams has been playing in three different countries. The last time the Steelers played an international game was, coincidentally, against the Vikings on Sept. 29, 2013 in London.
The Vikings will play in Dublin against the Steelers in Week 4, before returning to London to face the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 5. They’ll be the first team to play in two different countries outside the United States in back-to-back weeks. It will be their fifth trip to London, and third in four years. The Vikings are 4-0 in international regular season games.
Steelers president Art Rooney II had strongly advocated for a...
