Fittingly, the Pittsburgh Steelers will participate in the first-ever NFL game in Ireland on Sunday, when they meet the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park in Dublin.

The Rooney family, which has owned the franchise since its inception in 1933, has deep Irish roots. The late owner, Dan Rooney, served as the United States' ambassador from 2009 to 2012, having been appointed by President Barack Obama.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn't given to sentimentality and refers to the journey to Ireland as a "business trip." However, he does admit that the memory of Rooney will be on his mind while his team is in Dublin.

"I think a lot about the late Ambassador Rooney and how fired up he would be about this trip," Tomlin said Tuesday during his weekly news conference. "How important the development of this trip was for him. So, I've been thinking a lot about it. I'm sure I'll be thinking a lot about it this week. I certainly will be thinking a lot about him when we're there.

"You talk about a guy that certainly had a lot of passion for Ireland and obviously the Steelers, and serving as ambassador to Ireland. I'm sure he'll be smiling down at us this weekend."

Sunday's game will be just the second time the Steelers play in Europe during the regular season. They also faced the Vikings in 2013 at Wembley Stadium in London, losing 34-27.

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 383 yards in a losing cause in that game. However, Tomlin said NFL teams have a lot better idea of handling a transatlantic game 12 years later.

"A lot of organizations have been traveling internationally now for a number of years, so some of those procedural things that put you in position to best perform are less mystical and really more best practices," Tomlin said. "The hydration and sleep factor and all those things."

The Steelers played an exhibition game in Dublin in 1997. They defeated the Chicago Bears 30-17 as newly minted starting quarterback Kordell Stewart led a pair of touchdown drives.