Steelers notebook: Thomas says pressure of following Polamalu proved too much

[polamalubeast]

NEW ORLEANS — They say it isn't easy following a legend.

For Steelers safety Shamarko Thomas, he didn't give much thought to the ramifications of being the one who would follow Troy Polamalu until it was too late.

Thomas struggled so much early on the preseason last year trying to live up to the Polamalu legacy he was benched less than a week before the start of the season.

Thomas logged 20 snaps with the defense last season. Even when starter Will Allen was injured, the Steelers went with Robert Golden over Thomas.

Thomas said the scope of replacing Polamalu proved to be his undoing.

“I was not trying to be like Troy. But coming into that role mentally, with a big name like that, and when you try to make plays so hard that you get yourself out of your own game,” Thomas said. “I realized I have to be like myself and let it play out. That's what I am doing this year.”



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[ALLD]

I don't think it's pressure as so much as stupidity. I don't think Shark could spell "cat" if you gave him the "c" and the "t".

[GBMelBlount]

Tew Mush Preshure!!!!!!!!


http://new1.fjcdn.com/thumbnails/comments/That+doesn+t+look+natural+hahahahaha+_85a878bc4b0e 5d229b406bb3358dc194.jpg

[Born2Steel]

Man, suck it up. Just play football.

[SteelerFanInStl]

Man, suck it up. Just play football.

No doubt!

[zulater]

I wont call him dumb. I would just say he lacks football awareness. He has little instinct for the game. The game at the NFL level is played so fast that if you don't have a natural feel for what's going on around you that you're almost certainly going to fail. Dri Archer is a perfect example of this. Guy was about as fast as anyone in the league. But he had no instinct. And that's why he already washed out of the league.

The saving grace for Shamarko is that special teams play requires less thinking and instinct. Just run real fast in your assigned lane and boom! If the play comes to you - you get to be the hero. If it doesn't by maintaining your lane you most likely helped run the returner into the tackler. Of course as we all know Shark can even screw up this simple a task by doing things like hitting a guy who made a fair catch etc... :lol: But mostly he thrives on this unit and that's why he'll probably make the roster again.