Troy retires a Steeler

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/With-Troy-gone-its-Thomas-turn/068a51a6-76fd-4407-a5cd-17fc70ce3113



With Troy gone, it's Thomas' turn
Posted 18 hours ago
Bob Labriola
Steelers.com
@BobLabriola
The Steelers will be looking for Shamarko Thomas to step forward and fill a big hole at safety.


In hindsight, the ceremonial passing of the torch came last summer, when the savvy veteran invited the up-and-comer to take a trip to California to train with him. To put in the physical work necessary to prepare oneself for the rigors of an NFL season, sure, but also to impart the kind of wisdom and insight that can be the difference between good and great.

The official passing of the torch came on April 9, when Troy Polamalu made known his decision to retire.
Last summer, most likely sensing his football mortality, Polamalu had invited teammate Shamarko Thomasto come to California to share in the way he trained his body for an NFL season. For years, Polamalu’s best seasons had come after he had spent most of the offseason in California preparing himself physically and mentally.

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It is reasonable to assume the Steelers now are expecting Thomas – their first of two fourth-round picks in the 2013 NFL Draft – to step into the lineup at safety alongside Mike Mitchell, not with the idea of replacing Polamalu but to develop his own individual skills in a manner that can contribute to good-enough-to-win-with defense.

Polamalu was one of six safeties on the Steelers roster at the end of the 2014 season. Today that position includes returning starter Mitchell, who will be entering his second season with the Steelers after signing as an unrestricted free agent; veteran Will Allen, re-signed to a one-year deal; special teams ace Ross Ventrone; Robert Golden, a restricted free agent; and Thomas.

When he came out of Syracuse, Thomas was touted as a hard-hitting strong safety with the added ability of lining up and covering receivers. In college, Thomas had taken wide receiver Robert Woods out of a game vs. USC, and Woods ended up being drafted in the second round in 2013 by the Buffalo Bills. As a rookie, the Steelers used Thomas some as a slot defender in their sub-packages.

But with Thomas, it always has been the injuries. He made his first NFL start on Sept. 22 of his rookie season, and he was playing some sub-package defense and special teams until an ankle injury on Nov. 10. Suddenly short-handed at safety, the Steelers signed Will Allen, who had left the Steelers for Dallas as an unrestricted free agent some months earlier only to have been released by the Cowboys. When Will Allen posted nine tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble in the next game, a game the Steelers won, he convinced the coaches to make him a regular part of the sub-package alignment. As a result, Thomas didn’t get on the field for any meaningful defensive snaps upon his return.

Then in November 2014, with another opportunity to step in to help the team in a time of need created by a knee injury to Polamalu, Thomas was unable to play because of hamstring injuries during the same period.

The Steelers have said they’re pretty much done with free agency, and so the next opportunity for the safety position to be re-shaped will be during the NFL Draft that begins on April 30. But with the defense needing a talent infusion at cornerback and reinforcements at outside linebacker, it’s anticipated the early-round selections will be spent at those positions. Which means the 2015 Steelers are going to need big seasons from Mitchell and Thomas.

“I say it all the time in regards to people who have had a lap around the track with us whether it’s an unrestricted free agent like Mike Mitchell or whether it’s a drafted guy,” said Coach Mike Tomlin. “That second lap around the track, that experience that comes with being in our environment and understanding how we do business is a platform for them to improve.”


Thomas knows how the Steelers do business, and now it’s time for him to show them he can take care of it.

“If given an opportunity, I think (Thomas) better be ready to seize it,” said Tomlin. “I know that’s his mentality, like the mentality of all our guys. But when you ask about open competition that’s exactly what it is. I don’t know that we have any pre-subscribed notions about how we’re going to come out of this thing. I think our job at this time of year is to assemble as many capable men as we can and put them in as many competitive environments as we can in an effort to produce the best unit or team that we can.”

I'm not really sure what I can say about the man that hasn't already been said. He will be missed by all of us diehards and casual fans alike. Often times I would be in the grocery store on Sunday mornings gearing up for the game in my 43 jersey and people would always say something positive about him. How he's unbelievable or how good he is for the game and his community. Keep in mind that I live in Redskins territory and they usually have no clue about their team, much less ours.

I'll never forget one of his first pick sixes against the Bengals and he actually looked for Carson Palmer and ran his ass over en route to the endzone. Such classic Troy! He loved to cut the ball back against the grain of the field whenever he picked one off. I love that stuff and will never forget the player that he was for us.

Godspeed Troy!

43Hitman wrote:

I'll never forget one of his first pick sixes against the Bengals and he actually looked for Carson Palmer and ran his ass over en route to the endzone. Such classic Troy!

I can still see this play in my mind and I loved every second of it.

Need to start making his HoF bust. Can't have another Deion Sanders situation.

Welcome to the forum, Bert! Make yourself at home and let us know if you have any questions.

Buddha Bus wrote:

A sad day indeed. One of the all-time greatest Steelers to ever play. He will become a Steeler legend in the same breath as Joe Greene, Lambert, Blount, Franco and the like as soon as he's inducted into Canton. It just won't be the same watching a Steeler game without seeing that wild mane of hair flying around the field like a bushy missile making amazing play after amazing play.

I'm glad Troy decided to retire a Steeler and not don another uniform to try to squeak out another year or two on the downside when he has nothing left to prove. Thank you for all the awesome years of football excellence, Troy. You'll truly be missed, but always have a special place in Steelers fans' hearts. Enjoy your retirement. You've earned it.

Please. LeGarrette Blount is in a class all his own when it comes to Steelers legends, and it is insulting to compare him to such scrubs like Greene, Lambert, and Harris.

We as Steelers fans were extremely fortunate to see a talent like Troy Polamalu play for our favorite team for so long. I look forward to seeing him be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a few years.

Steeler Zach wrote:

Please. LeGarrette Blount is in a class all his own when it comes to Steelers legends, and it is insulting to compare him to such scrubs like Greene, Lambert, and Harris.

Our Blount will always smoke their's.

Steeler Zach wrote:

Please. LeGarrette Blount is in a class all his own when it comes to Steelers legends, and it is insulting to compare him to such scrubs like Greene, Lambert, and Harris.

Bam Morris, Najeh Davenport, LaGarrette and...? Who's the fourth RB on the Steelers Mt. Rushmore of infamy?

Bert Gordon wrote:

Steeler Zach wrote:

Please. LeGarrette Blount is in a class all his own when it comes to Steelers legends, and it is insulting to compare him to such scrubs like Greene, Lambert, and Harris.

Bam Morris, Najeh Davenport, LaGarrette and...?  Who's the fourth RB on the Steelers Mt. Rushmore of infamy?

Duece Staley? Barron Batch? Chris Rainey?

Troy helped bring the Steelers two rings. He's already a HOF'er.

Friday Insider: Polamalu unhappy with brass

• Within the context of his immense stature, Troy Polamalu retired as quietly as possible. There was no press conference at the Steelers’ headquarters. There were no teary hugs or handshakes. He simply placed two phone calls, one to Dan Rooney and another to veteran reporter Jim Wexell, who landed the exclusive for his site Steel City Insider.

That was it. He called no one else.

One of the greatest athletes of his generation shut it down as quickly and effortlessly as if he vaulted over the Tennessee line, wrapped up the tackle and walked away.

The simple answer, based on numerous conversations I’ve had on this topic, is this: He was — and remains — very much disenchanted with the Steelers’ current front office, and that includes pretty much everyone under Rooney, and I emphasize under. He loves Dan in every way, speaks of him as a son would of a father. But the same most definitely cannot be said of Art Rooney II, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin, with whom his falling out is described by sources close to Polamalu as being pretty much beyond repair.

http://dkonpittsburghsports.com/2015/05/15/friday-insider-polamalu-unhappy-with-brass/

- It's shocking to me that people still refuse to acknowledge the fact that Polamalu was a liability on the field and wasn't coming back to the team under any circumstance after this past season. He can be "disenchanted" with the front office all he'd like, but that doesn't change the fact that it was time for LeBeau and himself to be shown the door.

Coincidentally enough, I've been "disenchanted" with Troy's play since 2011.

I gotta admit, I've gotten the "meddling owner" vibe from Art II, but I didn't expect to hear this about Colbert and Tomlin

I can't, for the life of me, figure out what his issue with them would be. The best I can think of for Tomlin is perhaps the lack of discipline he seems to instill- maybe Troy doesn't respect "player coaches"?

Bane wrote:

I gotta admit, I've gotten the "meddling owner" vibe from Art II, but I didn't expect to hear this about Colbert and Tomlin

I can't, for the life of me, figure out what his issue with them would be. The best I can think of for Tomlin is perhaps the lack of discipline he seems to instill- maybe Troy doesn't respect "player coaches"?

It's likely the fact that the front office pushed LeBeau out, despite the reports of the "mutual parting" that took place.

Being on a pro football team is not like a Supreme Court appointment - there is no lifetime tenure

Troy and Coach LeBeau are all time Steeler greats and were paid accordingly - but LeBeau could not design  schemes to improve a defense that has been in decline for years and Troy has been unable to cover anyone for some time

Sorry Troy's ending was not like that of The Bus, but it rarely works out that way - if he is bitter that is unfortunate but an unavoidable consequence of his era passing

Troy is one of my all time favorite Steelers. It was time for him to go but I will miss him.

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Troy is one of my all time favorite Steelers. It was time for him to go but I will miss him.

For me, he was one of the reasons why I became a Steelers fan. I'll miss him too but his last 2-3 years he wasn't his old self anymore.