In and around Cleveland, Mike Tomlin’s name is revered by many Cleveland Browns fans. During his 19 seasons as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Tomlin compiled a 28-9-1 record against the Browns.

He was known for being a no-nonsense coach. That's why the entire football world was absolutely shocked when he revealed his more than 12-year-old Minecraft city, which fans have nicknamed Tomlinburgh.

To Coach Tomlin, developing Tomlinburgh was more than a way to pass the time. He called building in the world "therapeutic" and “a way to detach from the realities and pressures of life,” in the first episode of his YouTube series about his city titled “EP 1: ROOFTOPS, PENTHOUSES, AND URBAN LIVING.”

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His Minecraft world is nothing short of a beautiful work of art. My words cannot describe the immense detail and the intricacy of his builds. You simply need to watch the video for yourself. I promise, it's worth the watch. 
 

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Coach Tomlin first revealed his interest in Minecraft during an interview with USA Today’s Craig Melvin. After that interview, social media exploded and essentially demanded that Coach Tomlin show the world his Minecraft city. 

Tomlinburgh’s reveal was far more impressive than anyone could have expected. The first episode amassed 3.5 million views almost three weeks after it was posted and fans are eagerly awaiting more episodes.

But why has Coach Tomlin’s interest in Minecraft blown up the internet?

To those who follow the NFL, the answer to that question is obvious. Coach Tomlin is the last person anyone would expect to be a Minecraft mega-builder, and not only a mega-builder, a meticulous interior design savant. In the video he even called himself a “lighting snob.”

The simple fact is, nobody expected Coach Tomlin to have a Minecraft hobby and for him to have such a deep interest in a game that has more than 155 million monthly active users globally. But maybe that says more about society than it does about Coach Tomin’s character and personality. 

Society views celebrities and public figures as larger than life. In today's world, we forget that people like Coach Tomlin are humans too who eats, sleeps, has hobbies, just like everyone else. 

Coach Tomlin didn’t start playing Minecraft with the idea of building a grand city, his intention was far more heartwarming.
 

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In an interview with Seth Meyers on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Meyers asked Coach Tomlin if he started playing as a way to detach from the football world. 

“That wasn’t my intention when I got into it,” Tomlin said. “My boys were in middle school and you will do anything as a parent to stay close to them as they drift away. So that (playing Minecraft) became our thing.” 

First of all, how relatable is that? Growing up, how many times did one of your parents walk in on you playing your video game of choice and ask to join in? Personally, I have distinct memories of trying to teach my dad how to play Minecraft and it ending with him giving up after he died falling into lava. 

Later in the interview Coach Tomlin addressed the audience. “In these jobs we have, I think you guys would be surprised there's probably a lot of interesting hobbies.”

Tomlin’s special interest in Minecraft may be the internet's latest obsession, and it may not be relevant come December, but from my perspective, it's a telling look into the type of person Coach Tomin is off the field and I will be looking forward to more episodes about his fabulous builds.