Reports surfaced recently that the entire Pittsburgh Steelers squad would be making the trip to Canton, Ohio to support Dick LeBeau during his induction into the Professional Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

On Wednesday, we got some quotes from Coach Tomlin and several players that explain just why the man they call ‘Coach Dad’ is so widely loved and respected in the organization.

First up Coach Tomlin:

“What a great opportunity to have a field trip for a team,” says coach Mike Tomlin. “It’s a guy we all love and admire. It’s a very special day for him, and, by no means, do we intend to miss it.”

Veteran defensive end Brett Keisel then chimed in:

“Obviously, he’s my favorite guy ever. … I love the guy to death,” says Brett Keisel, who as an end in LeBeau’s defense occasionally drops in pass coverage.

And finally, a nice gem from behemoth nose tackle Casey Hampton:

Steelers NT Casey Hampton, who said the Hall of Fame induction “couldn’t happen to a better guy,” says he still marvels at how LeBeau still does push-up before practice.

“He stays in shape. … He coaches like he played football,” says Hampton. “A lot of coaches these days act like they never played and they never made mistakes. He’s the type of guy that lets you know that everybody makes mistakes, just don’t do it again. … You’ve got to respect that.”