“Dino’s grown up in pressure,” Chuck DiNardo, who coached Mike Tomlin’s son at Shady Side Academy, once said. Growing up in Pittsburgh with one of the city’s most recognizable football last names brought Dino plenty of attention, but the wide receiver wanted to build an identity of his own. He eventually left his hometown for Maryland before transferring to Boston College. Now, the Pittsburgh native has a blunt message for others looking to make their own name: leave Pittsburgh.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THIS… YOU GOTTA LEAVE PITTSBURGH WHEN YOU GET A NAME. ITS CRABS IN A BUCKET! THEY CANNOT WAIT FOR YOU TO CRASH OUT OR MAKE A MISTAKE.. GO SOMEWHERE AND BE SOMEBODY ELSE!” Dino wrote on X.
However, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan commented, “As a Steeler fan, I wanna hate you but you lowkey right. I swear this fandom gets more toxic every year.” Dino had to clarify that he wasn’t talking about the Steelers fans or his father, who coached the team for almost two decades. Instead, he was talking about the locals of his hometown.
“IM TALKING ABOUT LOCALS… NOT MY FATHER… IM FROM PITTSBURGH LOL,” Dino responded.
Dino Tomlin grew up in Pittsburgh and graduated from Shady Side Academy, where he was a three-star recruit before starting his college football career. However, Dino’s recent comments about Pittsburgh also carry some personal context.
Having grown up in Pittsburgh as the son of one of the city’s most recognizable sports figures, he has experienced the scrutiny that comes with the Tomlin name firsthand. In 2023, The Boston Globe reported that Dino felt like a target growing up, with some people questioning whether he earned football opportunities on his own merit or because of his father’s reputation.
“He’s been forged by the fire in that way. Moments aren’t too big for him. I think he embraces it, feeds off it. He loves the negativity,” DiNardo explained.
Eventually, Dino chose to leave Pittsburgh to pursue his football career. Despite being a Pittsburgh native and having an opportunity to play at the University of Pittsburgh, he chose to leave home for college. He received 15 offers, including from Pittsburgh, Duquesne, and Robert Morris, among others, but committed to Maryland instead.
He subsequently transferred from Maryland to Boston College in 2022 after limited playing time in College Park and turned heads. For broader context, after transferring to Boston College, he found a considerably larger role. In 2023, he played all 13 games, started two and finished with 24 receptions for 312 yards.
That said, Dino’s own journey gives his comments an added layer of context. He left Pittsburgh to pursue opportunities elsewhere and eventually carved out a role at Boston College. While his “crabs in a bucket” claim remains his personal view, his experience growing up under the Tomlin name clearly shaped his perspective on leaving home to build an identity of his own.