Austin Bechtold

I tell you, Starkey, watching that game with my boys who are lifelong Steeler fans.

I mean, they grew up loving the Steelers because I played and they just carried on.

They were going crazy.

I had never cheered like that.

I don't think ever.

They had me jumping up and down and dancing and all that stuff.

and you better have a good relationship with the rest of the players because if you miss a kick like that man i mean they're going to hold you to count you know and and the reality is you have one job to do that's kick extra points and kick field goals and you know there's a lot of times when we look at those kickers during training camp right and we're out of latrobe i remember when i was playing and it was a hundred plus heat index and we were sweating our tails off and then we'd see the kickers go walking off the field halfway through practice heading off to the fishing hole

right and we'd be sitting there busting our tails working but those kickers made kicks and it's that's okay as long as you as long as you make those big kicks man and the pressure is real it's thick and um that's why those guys are one of 32 people that are in the nfl

right and at the highest level because they're the ones that can take the pressure and kick them and man listen i know you don't want to feel bad for the guy because you're still a fan but you even saw it when harbaugh was walking into the tunnel came up behind him the guy was crying and had his hands on his chin strap on his helmet and hardbox come up and put his arm around him um but it's just it's a tough one when it comes down to that and you miss that kick that has become so routine

Those 40 to 50 yard kicks now become so routine.

When I was playing, it was like 50-50 over 40 yards.

I remember Cower saying that.

50-50.

Now it's routine 40 to 50.

first of all i thought would this have been the same result for us if he would have made that kick would have been tomlin who have gotten fired or tomlin said it's time for a change of voice a change of direction i don't know and luckily we're not in that situation and tomlin did what tomlin always does got us back in the hunt got us into the playoffs um and so i just think um that it's a tough it's a tough deal

right i mean i can see how they would want to change the direction change of voice but when you look at guys when you look at what harbaugh has done i mean listen in 18 years 18 years 180 113 180 wins 13 11 the playoffs won a super bowl 12 playoff appearances six afc north titles and four afc championship appearances that's a resume that's a hall of fame resume and it's tough to get rid of a guy like that but

Then I think on the flip side, you think of teams that got rid of Hall of Fame coaches like Andy Reid in Philadelphia.

And he went to Kansas City and it worked out.

And other guys that have done that.

And they go somewhere else and they get a fresh start.