PALM BEACH, Fla. -- When Brian Flores filed his lawsuit against the NFL and three teams alleging racial discrimination in their hiring practices, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin felt it was his duty to stay close to the former Miami Dolphins coach.
"I just didn't want him to feel like he was on an island," Tomlin told reporters Sunday from league meetings. "From a coaching fraternity standpoint, I owed him that. I was in position to provide that. I think that started our interactions and conversations."
In quick succession, phone calls of advice morphed into a job offer, and on Feb.