Shazier has a show-stopper kind of day
I’ve said all offseason that this could be the breakout year for Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier.
If Sunday was any indication, I might have nailed that one on the head.
Shazier was the star of the day today, first dominating the action in the backs on backers period, then absolutely destroying running backs like a heat seeking missile in the 11-on-11 run plays.
James Harrison set the tone for the linebackers before backs on backers, yelling at his cohorts as they huddled, “We want to be the No. 1 defense. We’re going to be the No. 1 defense. We’re going to win a Super Bowl!”
That set the tone and Shazier ran with it.
He started things off on his first rep with a pretty swim move on DeAngelo Williams that left the veteran running back grasping at air, then beating fullback Rosie Nix on a straight bull rush and swimming over the top.
What he did to running back Cameron Stingily bordered on criminal assault, as he ran straight through Stingily, who is listed at 235 pounds but dropped some weight this year to get a little quicker. He put Stingily onto his back, prompting Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to exclaim, “5-0 is looking like a man today!”
The defense got the better of the drill, as usual, since it’s set up slightly in their favor. But Tomlin did question the offense, which wears white jerseys while the defense wears yellow, saying, “Does anybody in white want to win one today?”
Tiny running back Brandon Brown-Dukes of Mercyhurst, all 5-8, 200 pounds of him, was beaten early on in the drill by Anthony Chickillo, prompting Toming to yell, “You’re getting up too high Mercyhurst!”
But when the little man won some later reps, Tomin told him, “That’s it. I might have to start calling you by your name,” after stoning L.J. Fort.
In addition to Shazier, Chickillo and Tyler Matakevich – whom Tomlin has dubbed, “Dirty Red,” for his red hair – looked good in the drill.
Harrison, who was obviously not supposed to take part, was itching to get in there and finally got a rep toward the end, ducking his shoulder and beating D.J. Johnson around the edge.
• In 11-on-11s, the hitting was ferocious as the defense obviously was delighting in putting on the pads for the first time.
Shazier blew up Daryl Richardson five yards in the backfield on one play, eliciting hoots and hollers from his teammates and oohs and ahs from the crowd.
Sean Davis also stood out, coming up quickly to hammer Richardson in the hole on one occasion and stopping Brown-Dukes in the backfield on another.
Nix was a little slow getting up from one collision with a player I didn’t see. He’s being evaluated for a concussion, as is Brandon Johnson after today’s heavy hitting.
First-year corner Montell Garner of South Alabama also flashed again today, coming up on a blitz to smack Johnson, which very well might have been the play on which he was injured.
• Just to show his diversity, Shazier later chased down Eli Rogers 40 yards downfield on a catch and run. He truly is special.
• After practice, Antonio Brown spoke for the first time in this camp and said that his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has contacted the Steelers about the possibility of a new contract.
Of course, GM Kevin Colbert told me Friday that the team has no intention of extending Brown at this time.
Brown did say that holding out was never on his mind because he has too much respect for team chairman Dan Rooney.