Pittsburgh Steelers: Is Shamarko Thomas the next Troy Polamalu?

By Brian Spaen | Jun 1, 2015

Will anybody ever replace such a high-profile character like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Troy Polamalu? Those are extremely big shoes to fill, but safety Shamarko Thomas is ready for the challenge. Does he have what it takes to become

The former fourth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft hasn’t been making headlines yet. He’s played in 25 games in the last two years and has recorded 34 total tackles. He had just five total tackles last season in 11 games, but primarily played on special teams and never started (started in two in 2013). He did record two forced fumbles.

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Injuries have also plagued Thomas. Early in the 2014 season, he had to sit for three weeks dealing with a hamstring injury. It slowed a process started by Polamalu in the offseason before that when he invited Thomas to California to train with him.

Now that Polamalu has retired, Thomas is projected to start at strong safety. In a report from Dale Grdnic of the Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports), Thomas noted the training he received from the former 12-year safety and felt attached to him.

"”That was a great experience for me, and I kept up doing the explosive stuff, plyometrics, all the things to keep me explosive, coming out of my breaks and turning my head, mostly all the things needed to take care of my mind and my body,” Thomas said. ”I text Troy every other day. He keeps my mind right mentally and physically.”"

Thomas acknowledged that neither he nor anyone can replace Polamalu. The goal is simply the standard any player has: work hard, compete for a position, and stay healthy. He’s saying all the right things. However, unfair or not, he’s going to get the comparisons. It’s the nature of the beast when you step in to a former great.

There’s a lot of good signs that Thomas can fill the void. He’s humble during interviews and is willing to learn from the greats. Not only did go out and train with Polamalu, but he also mentioned learning from safety Will Allen and cornerback William Gay.

Character won’t be an issue. Thomas was forced to grow up quickly when he lost both of his parents and was the eldest of their six children left behind.

Strength and speed were upsides for the former Syracuse safety heading into the NFL. He could also serve as an additional linebacker and doesn’t mind making plays often at the line of scrimmage. In fact, Sigmund Bloom of Bleacher Report explained in a scouting report that his aggressiveness could be a downside at times.

"“Reckless” and “out of control” are two ways to describe Thomas when he is at his worst. He’ll take poor angles and miss tackles because he puts his head down or leads with his shoulder to make a big hit. His overaggressive nature causes him to be shaken easily in the open field."

A question that remains is the lack of playing time from the first year to second year for Thomas. Is that anything to be concerned about as the Steelers move forward?

Scott Pavelle of Behind the Steel Curtain doesn’t believe so. He mentions that Mike Tomlin commonly chooses veterans over younger players in big time situations, which is why Thomas wasn’t out there late in the season. He notes that Thomas has more potential, but if he was a head coach, he would have chosen Allen to be out there in the crucial moments, too.

"When I put myself into Tomlin’s shoes it turned out to be a very, very close decision. In the end… I would probably have played Will Allen. It shocks me to say it because I am a self-avowed fan of the younger guy, but I have to agree this was just not the time to take that plunge."

Thomas is still a work in progress. The potential is there with his maturity and power, and a sophomore slump shouldn’t get anybody discouraged on him based on how Tomlin runs the ship. Expectations will be sky-high trying to fill strong safety solidified by a future Hall of Fame player and the team hasn’t had to worry about that position. However, it looks like they can be confident as Thomas enters his third season to take the next step.

Next: Steelers: Expect big things from Sammie Coates

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