Being a player in the NFL isn’t like any other job. In most lines of work, you probably aren’t encouraged to talk trash to your boss, but when it comes to being a player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin actually encourages it.

Calvin Austin III appeared on the Ed Block CourageCast on Friday and was asked about his favorite Tomlin story. He revealed some of the friendly banter that takes place throughout practice and how Tomlin is the instigator of the smack talk.

“He is definitely the first coach I had like this. During training camp, he was talking in the meeting, he was like, ‘Look, when I talk trash to you guys, I want you to talk trash back to me when you make a play,’” Austin said. “When you think of a coach, it’s like when you do something, it’s just like yes sir, no sir with coaches.

“I remember Tre Norwood, one of the safeties, he had made a play and had started talking to coach like, ‘Yeah coach, what you got to say now?’…But then he talked in the meeting about it. He was like you’re a man, and you got here from being the biggest competitor…I’m not here to limit you. I’m here to get the best out of you.”

It is a variant of one of the oldest coaching adages. If a coach is being hard on you, it is just because they see potential. NFL players are a different breed of human from you and me. You have to be to grind through the ranks from Pop Warner, high school, and college all the way up to the highest level in the NFL. Competition brings out the best in players, so Tomlin fosters an environment that challenges players to compete – even in a practice setting.

It also helps prepare the players for what they might hear throughout a game. Not every player is known for being a big trash talker on the field, but there are certainly some who wage psychological warfare on the gridiron. The Steelers’ prized free agent this year, ILB Patrick Queen, has talked about how he is a big trash talker. He even cited other guys on the defense that he’s already noticed have a propensity to talk trash, including ILB Elandon Roberts and CB Donte Jackson.

Mike Tomlin is often viewed as a player’s coach. Some believe he pampers his players, but Tomlin is there to challenge them and bring out their best. One way of doing that is talking trash to bring out the competitive nature that lies within every NFL player.