“Really a quality individual, great family, great people, and he was a very smart player,” Ruckman said of Tomlin. “He had that quiet confidence that now is so obvious as coach of the Steelers. It doesn’t surprise me that he has done so well because he was a student of the game and really picked up Coach (Jimmye) Laycock’s offense very quickly.”

Of Tomlin, Laycock said, “he has a great way of being confident but without being cocky in the way he does things.”

McDermott came to W&M as a walk-on in 1993 and left in 1997 as a starter and captain, which reflects the development and leadership ability he showed as a Tribe player.

“He was very similar to Tomlin, very sharp, very cerebral,” Ruckman said. “He picked up things very quickly. This might just have been a function of them being younger than me, but they were both quiet, respectful, reserved guys, but when they had something to say, you listened.”

The NFL coaching ascents of Tomlin and McDermott shadow outstanding college careers. Tomlin was a three-year Tribe starter who made 101 career receptions for 2,054 yards and 20 touchdowns. Tomlin was an all-conference choice as a senior, as was McDermott. Russ Huesman, Richmond’s coach, was a W&M defensive assistant during the Tribe careers of Tomlin and McDermott.