Steelers Morning Huddle 8/8/13

Jul 27, 2013; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Curtis McNeal (right) carries the ball as safety Robert Golden (21) pursues in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Hey there Steeler Nation!  It feels great to have news about the Steelers and the upcoming season.  It isn’t always good news, but hey, it’s better than speculation based purely off projected activity.  Training camp continues as the Steelers get ready for their first preseason game.  I also think it is great to be cheering on the Pirates and not writing off their season and thinking “Well, at least we still have the Steelers.”

Shamarko Thomas Has A New NickName

According to Gary Bouchette’s article is the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Shamarko Thomas’s teammates have taken to calling “Headache.” It’s partly for how hard he hits and people are predicting he is going to cause the opponent trouble and partly for all the questions he asks the veteran guys.  Ike Taylor has said Thomas is doing the right things to be a part of the team, even if Clark and Polamalu may be getting headaches from all the questions.  The article also contains some other bits and pieces from camp.  Ralph Paulk, from the Trib also lends his perspective to Shamarko Thomas’ status and gets some quotes in from Coach LeBeau.  LeBeau doesn’t go so far as to annoint Shamarko as a Polamalu or Clark successor but notes:

"He’s been everything we anticipated he would be.”"

Classic LeBeau!  On the personal side, I’ve seen posts this week from Thomas about his mother and how much he misses her.  Her mantra while he was growing up was that you need to work until your hands and your feet fall off or you haven’t done everything you can to succeed.  She passed away while he was at college and Thomas still honors her and her work ethic.  That’s the kind of guy you want to see succeed in the NFL.  I hope the shock of fame and the infusion of so much money doesn’t turn him from that work ethic.

Polamalu’s Offseason Workouts Paying Off So Far

Ralph Paulk’s article about Troy Polamalu in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review notes that Polamalu may be pacing himself through camp, but he’s is still benefiting from the practice sessions.  He quotes Polamalu as saying that he has seen where he is weak and been able to work on those areas.  Troy says he feels great this year but knows that his football future beyond this year is uncertain.  One thing that is clear from the article is that Polamalu is prepared for the moment and not living and focusing on the future.  For a football player, that’s what you have to do.  You have to look toward the next game.  If you get too far out, you lose the focus you need for tomorrow.  Let the coaches worry about the games down the road.

Peter King’s Predition From Training Camp

Peter King, of Sports Illustrated, is running a new website call “The MMQB” where he posts more than just on the Mondays following the games.  There is a series called Postcards From Training Camp” and they are short videos from interviews they do as they have been visiting the camps.  The video from Steelers training camp focuses on Roethlisberger and how he is in better shape.  He also focused on Le’Veon Bell and how well he is doing during training camp.

Speaking of the Giants

Well, I wasn’t, but I am now.  According to Ohm Youngmusick’s blog on ESPN New York, Coach Tom Coughlin plans to play his starters for about a quarter.  That probably shouldn’t be a surprise, but just like many of the teams around the league, some de facto starters – Justin Tuck, Hakeen Nicks, and others – are banged up and may not be ready to go into the game.   I’m sure that Coach Tomlin, if asked, will make some ambiguous statement about playing the players who need to be played.  I think he priority is sorting out the new players.  Roethlisberger and some other veterans may play a series or two to help knock the rust off, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t get in the game at all.

Tweet of the Day

Mike Prisuta, a sportscaster on Pittsburgh radio station WDVE, snapped this classic pic:

Steeler fans come from all walks of life! I love it.  I miss catching WDVE since I haven’t lived in the area for a long time.

That’s it for today.  Let us know what you think!