Mike Tomlin and his wife, Kiya Tomlin, were presented the Patricia R. Rooney Community Impact Award on Thursday evening at the Ireland Funds gala at Acrisure Stadium.

After declining an interview with the collective media, during the acceptance of the award, Tomlin made his first public remarks since he stepped down after 19 season as the Steelers' head coach.

"It's often said that we're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time -- like you have to choose,” Tomlin said. “I think our experience here in Pittsburgh, with the great Steelers organization, exemplifies that. We were here for a long and really good time. It's been an honor to serve the greatest organization in sports. It's been an honor to be a part of this great community, to call it home and for our kids to call it home. We're in somewhat of a nomadic business, and so we don't take that for granted that our kids get an opportunity to call Pittsburgh home. It's been an honor to serve the community in which we live, it's values that we hold, and it will continue. We appreciate the recognition, but as my wife said, we certainly don't do it for that. We've been extremely blessed, man, and we'd just like to share those blessings. We thank you."