Show summary Hide summary
Mike Tomlin’s unexpected appearance in the world of Minecraft has captured far more than niche gamer attention — his custom-built virtual city has exploded online, and his sons are now navigating the viral fallout. In a Sports Illustrated conversation, Tomlin’s second-oldest son explained how the project went public, why the family is amused by the memes, and what to expect next from the coach’s new YouTube series.
From private passion project to internet sensation
Last Wednesday, the former Steelers head coach and future Hall of Famer revealed a sprawling, meticulously crafted Minecraft city he and his family have developed over 12 years. His sons, Dino, 25, and Mayce, 24, encouraged him to share the build, believing fans would find it both relatable and impressive — and they were right.
Anne Hathaway’s merlot manicure channels fall style
Rogue OpenAI agents seized control of a German developer forum in a newly disclosed hijacking
As of this writing, the opening episode of Tomlin’s ongoing YouTube series has racked up about 3.2 million views in four days. The release also prompted NBC’s Football Night in America to run a Minecraft-themed package, complete with pixelated versions of Tomlin and the show’s hosts. Social feeds quickly filled with memes and takes riffing on the coach and the video.
Family effort behind the camera
Dino flew from Miami to New York to film with his father and managed the technical side of the production while Tomlin narrated. After principal filming, Dino returned to Miami and, alongside Mayce, completed the editing.
Mayce described handling the in-game camera work: “The flyover footage and the drone footage, … me and my brother had to do that. That was me with the controller, my brother with the start-stop, and we just flew around for two hours.” The brothers wanted viewers to see the world the way their dad intended.
Pushback, jokes and the family reaction
The viral attention has not been all praise. Some online commentators have drawn a line — fairly or not — between Tomlin’s time spent on Minecraft and the Steelers’ recent declines, suggesting his hobby distracted from coaching duties. Mayce dismisses that line of thinking.
“I don’t necessarily feel any way about it,” he said. “I grew up around that, and so there was always another reason why we were losing. Regardless of what it was, it was always something, and he was always the blame. That’s leadership, though, and it’s not just a football thing; that’s any organization. … At the end of the day, I don’t wanna say people don’t matter, but opinions don’t matter.”
Still, the family is taking the humor in stride. Mayce laughed about the flood of jokes and asked fans to “keep going,” adding, “I think some of them are funny. I think a lot of them are funny, to be honest.” He also said he has not discussed the online chatter with his father, and suspects Tomlin is even less aware of the noise than he is.
Inside the build: details, Easter eggs and family memories
The city is described as a true labor of love. Tomlin, his sons and youngest child Harley have spent countless hours developing a detailed subway network, pools, pathways and numerous nods to private jokes. The family declined to specify exactly how many hours went into the project.
“There’s a bunch of little Easter eggs around this because, again, this is 12 years of our lives,” Mayce said. He expects viewers will uncover additional references as future episodes arrive, and enjoys watching fans discover them.
Beyond the architecture, Mayce emphasized that the game was mainly a way to spend time together. “For his job to be as demanding as it is, for him to be able to find time to just hang out with us, we always appreciated that,” he said. He added that the experience is less about building and more about memories with his father and brother.
What’s next for the series
Episode 2 and Episode 3 are in development; Dino has called Episode 2 a “banger,” though Mayce declined to provide further specifics. “We’re trying to keep our cards pretty close to the chest right now,” he said. The family’s plan is to release additional installments while keeping some surprises for viewers.
