Steelers LB Foote takes first steps as leader

[stillers4me]

When the Steelers won Super Bowl XL after the 2005 season, Larry Foote, at 25, was the second-youngest starter on a veteran-laden defense. Only Troy Polamalu was younger.

As the Steelers approach the 2012 season, Foote finds himself in a much different role as one of the elder statesmen on a defense that has become younger after the departure of veterans such as Aaron Smith and James Farrior.
Foote, who will turn 32 next month, is charged with the tall task of replacing Farrior, his friend and mentor who started alongside him in the middle of the Steelers defense from 2004-09.

"When you're trying to replace a James Farrior and what he did for this defense the last decade ... those are big shoes to fill," Foote said during the first week of organized team activities at the team's South Side facility...........

read more @ http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-lb-foote-takes-first-steps-as-leader-637653/

[tube517]

I bet he is glad to be back after a year on the Lions. Although the lions are a better team now it's not Pittsburgh.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Really wish the headline read "Timmons" instead

[Steeldude]

Ugh! That's all the Steelers need. Foote pretending to be a leader. :frusty: IMO, the Steelers haven't had a leader on defense since Lloyd.

[steelreserve]

One thing this really drove home was ... wow, it's been 8 YEARS since that first Super Bowl run with this bunch. Which is an eternity in the NFL, and we were still contending last year with a lot of the same key guys.

On the other hand, you look at some of the guys who were starting then - Porter, Haggans, Von Oelhoffen, Townsend, Hope - and it's pretty impressive that we were able to keep going and replace all of them with equal or better players without missing a beat. The one that's worrisome is Troy. Don't know how we'll replace him, and let's face it, we're looking at 2-3 more years with him, maybe 4 tops.

[Iron Steeler]

One thing this really drove home was ... wow, it's been 8 YEARS since that first Super Bowl run with this bunch. Which is an eternity in the NFL, and we were still contending last year with a lot of the same key guys.

On the other hand, you look at some of the guys who were starting then - Porter, Haggans, Von Oelhoffen, Townsend, Hope - and it's pretty impressive that we were able to keep going and replace all of them with equal or better players without missing a beat. The one that's worrisome is Troy. Don't know how we'll replace him, and let's face it, we're looking at 2-3 more years with him, maybe 4 tops.



Irreplaceable player... It will be a scary transition

[Carolina Steelers]

One thing this really drove home was ... wow, it's been 8 YEARS since that first Super Bowl run with this bunch. Which is an eternity in the NFL, and we were still contending last year with a lot of the same key guys.

On the other hand, you look at some of the guys who were starting then - Porter, Haggans, Von Oelhoffen, Townsend, Hope - and it's pretty impressive that we were able to keep going and replace all of them with equal or better players without missing a beat. The one that's worrisome is Troy. Don't know how we'll replace him, and let's face it, we're looking at 2-3 more years with him, maybe 4 tops.

I agree, Im going to enjoy the next few yrs watching Troy will be hard to replace.