Steelers' Thomas looks to emerge from Polamalu's shadow

[stillers4me]

The inescapable reality facing Shamarko Thomas is the immeasurable, if not inevitable, pressures he faces as the successor to an icon.


Thomas, who struggled through injuries during his first two seasons, appears poised to replace the retired Troy Polamalu.


Still, the Syracuse product is preparing for a fight during training camp, which begins next month at St. Vincent. Nothing has come easily for the 24-year-old safety since the Steelers selected him in the fourth round with the 111th pick of the 2013 NFL Draft.


Mentally, Thomas has put the injuries behind him, but the remnants of stressed hamstrings and sore ankles remain. He figures there will be questions about his durability as he tries to settle in as Mike Mitchell's running mate at safety.........

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/8...#ixzz3cNufWlaa

[TeeTee]

I hope he can manage to "emerge" from the trainer's room.

[Moose]

I wish him luck and health ! But replacing Troy ....... maybe the way Troy played the past few year's is doable .... but in his limelight, not hardly !

[86WARD]

I'd like to see Thomas just become a solid safety at this point.

[TeeTee]

I'd like to see Thomas just become a solid safety at this point.

I'd take that as well. But he appears as the Bob Sanders in the LATER years, not the one who was a difference maker for the Colts those few years he was healthy.

[Rotorhead]

2 things:
1. He will never replace Troy, all we can hope for is he becomes a solid safety and plays it in the traditional sense better than most in the league.
2. TeeTee, are you actually a Steelers fan, you pretty much poopoo on every player from what I see? What gives?

[TeeTee]

2 things:
1. He will never replace Troy, all we can hope for is he becomes a solid safety and plays it in the traditional sense better than most in the league.
2. TeeTee, are you actually a Steelers fan, you pretty much poopoo on every player from what I see? What gives?

"Poopoo" on every player? Not even close. Accurately make a comment that Thomas is ALWAYS hurt? Sure. What, since I am a fan I should ignore obvious realities? Is that what it takes to be a fan in your eyes? That ain't how I roll. If you can't deal with reality, what's the point in that?

[Steeler_Dynasty]

Pouncey was out for 2 years in a row and now he plays like an all-pro. Thomas is learning from Troy; I doubt Troys teaching him his style of play, just things like preparation and how to keep from getting stupid injuries(turf-toe, etc. something you see from a constantly injured player), stuff like that aside from life-philosophy. I doubt Troy would have wasted his time if he didn't see potential in the kid. I also doubt that the coaches expect Thomas or anyone else to step up into Troys role and play it like Troy played it. I'm expecting solid conventional safety play. Aside from freak injuries, which can happen to anyone not just Thomas, I think he'll be all right; his preparation combined with his work ethic and two years of learning the playbook riding the bench will see to that. Not going to write him off before training camp even started.

[TeeTee]

Pouncey was out for 2 years in a row and now he plays like an all-pro. Thomas is learning from Troy; I doubt Troys teaching him his style of play, just things like preparation and how to keep from getting stupid injuries(turf-toe, etc. something you see from a constantly injured player), stuff like that aside from life-philosophy. I doubt Troy would have wasted his time if he didn't see potential in the kid. I also doubt that the coaches expect Thomas or anyone else to step up into Troys role and play it like Troy played it. I'm expecting solid conventional safety play. Aside from freak injuries, which can happen to anyone not just Thomas, I think he'll be all right; his preparation combined with his work ethic and two years of learning the playbook riding the bench will see to that. Not going to write him off before training camp even started.

He has a small frame which has a lot of added bulk on it. Then he runs into NFL players. It may be a simple case of physics and you can't really change physics.