The Steelers Alameda Ta'amu Needs a Giant Game vs. New York... Assuming He Plays

While every year the fan complaints about “the drudgery that is preseason football” get louder, one inescapable fact remains unchanged:

• Every summer the much maligned rite of “preseason football” gives 45 young men a shot at a lifetime dream.

Think about it. With the exception of a handful of highish round draft choices, and NFL gives young rookies a brief, four game window in which the dream of “playing in the big leagues” becomes possible.

• And then that dream is over. And for most of the kids its over forever.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a sterling history with undrafted rookie free agents.

Heck Willie Parker and James Harrison set records in Super Bowls XL and Super Bowl XLIII respectively. Players like Dan Kreider, Ramon Foster, and Nate Washington show that the Steelers have found contributors at nearly every position area via the undrafted rookie free agent pool.

But for every Steve McLendon and every Kaydrick Vincent there are 44 or 45 Kyle Clements. (Clement was a member of the Steelers 2008 undrafted rookie free agent class, and his shot at NFL glory ended in injury after a few series in the Steelers first preseason game in '08.)

While the Steelers Saturday night match up at Heinz Field vs. the Giants is key for many of these nameless NFL wanna bes, its also critical for other, higher profile aspirants.

• Earlier, Steel Curtain rising profiled 5 Steelers fighting for their NFL lives this summer in Latrobe.

Of those five, perhaps no one faces a more daunting task than the Steelers 2012 4th Round Draft Pick Alameda Ta'amu.

• Alameda Ta'amu's story is well known to Steelers Nation -- for all the wrong reasons.

The Kevin Colbert traded up to get Ta'amu in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL draft, explaining that the move was necessary because Alameda Ta'amu was the true nose tackle in the draft.

Its gone downhill since then for Ta'amu. First he struggled in 2012's training camp, gaining far more noteriety for his walk to Walmart than anything he did on the field.

Then came Ta'amu's drunken rampage on the South Side.

Since then Ta'amu has done all the right things (save for a boneheaded rewetweet).

• But now he’s facing a rather unenviable situation.

Opening training camp on the Steelers PUP list, Ta’amu was activated only to learn that in a year he’s gone from promising 4th round draft pick to 4th on the depth chart.

Yet, the Steelers preseason game vs. the Giants could change all of that.

• And the irony is that Ta’amu might not even get to play

Ta’amu began Steelers training camp with a hamstring injury and was only activated days ago, and no word has been given on whether or not he will play.

• If he does, he needless to say he’s got to put in a strong performance.

If not, he find himself in the perverse position of hoping that Al Woods and Loni Fangupo prove that they’re not NFL nose tackle material.

Regardless of griping from some fans, the position battles that will occur in the final three quarters of the preseason game vs. the Giants are very important to the futures of these young men and the Steelers line itself.

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Steelers Bad Luck with Offensive Line Injuries Continues: Nik Embernate Goes Down....

The Pittsburgh Steelers began their 2013 training camp with Steelers Nation crossing their fingers that dice would have memories – namely that the horrendously bad luck the team has endured with injuries to offensive lineman would end.

Its still early, but those hopes already appear to be in vain, as offensive lineman Nik Embernate of San Diego State went down at St. Vincents. Dan Gigler of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described it form the scene:

UFA Embernate from SD St. carted off w/ serious potential leg injury
— Dan Gigler (@gigs412) August 1, 2013

During the Mike Tomlin era no position has been the subject for more turmoil for the Pittsburgh Steelers than offensive line. In and effort to change that, the Steelers have invested heavily in rebuilding their offensive line in the 2010, 2011, and 2012 NFL Drafts, with the picks of Maurkice Pouncey, Marcus Gilbert, Mike Adams, and David DeCastro.

• Alas, by mid-season 2012, Mike Tomlin again was forced to play plug and patch, and musical chairs on offensive line again became the norm as the team’s playoff chances faded away.

In spite of that, the Tomlin along with Kevin Colbert chose to risk the wrath of the injury gods and did not select a single offensive lineman with their 9 picks in the 2013 NFL Draft.

They did however, include quite a few offensive lineman in their 2013 undrafted rookie free agent class. For other franchises that might be a ho-hum observation, but not in Pittsburgh.

Kevin Colbert has had an uncanny knack for striking gold in the undrafted rookie free agent pool. And Colbert has done particularly well with undrafted rookie free agent offensive lineman, with Darnell Stapelton, Doug Legursky and Ramon Foster starting in Super Bowls for the Steelers.

While Mike Golic Jr. grabbed everyone’s attention when joined as rookie free agent, many felt that Nik Embernate had better long-term prospects.

If the reports of the injury’s severity are confirmed, those prospects might have to wait until another summer…..

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Steelers Sign 15 Undrafted Free Agents, Including Mike Golic Jr. and Nik Embernate

“Day 4” of the 2013 NFL Draft at the South Side when the Pittsburgh Steelers added to their 2013 Draft Class by signing 15 undrafted rookie free agents, and it was a group heavy with offensive lineman.

Steelers 2013 Undrafted Rookie Free Agents:

Nik Embernate, guard of San Diego State
Chis Hubbard, guard of University of Birmingham
Mike Farrell, tackle of Penn State
Mike Golic Jr., tackle of Notre Dame
Ivory Wade, center of Baylor
Brian Arnfelt, defensive end of Northwestern
Cordian Hagans, defensive end of Louisiana-Lafayette
Athony Rashad White, defensive tackle of Michigan State
Omar Hunter, defensive tackle of Florida
Curtis McNeal, running back of USC
Luke Ingram, long snapper, of Hawaii

Seeking the Next Silverback, FWP

Dubbing this group “The Steelers 2013 Undrafted Rookie Free Agent Class” might seem slightly grandiose, as the vast majority of these kids are doing little more chasing a pro football like version of a Rudy like dream.

But with Kevin Colbert, the Steelers have mined the undrafted rookie free agent pool for gold, with talents like James Harrison and Willie Parker to show for it. And while those are the best two examples the Steelers can present, they are far from the only two.

• In 2008 Darnell Stapelton was part of an unrestricted rookie free agent crop and started in Super Bowl XLIII
• 2009’s undrafted rookie free agent crop yielded Ramon Foster and Isaac Redman
• In 2010 Steve McLendon got his first playing time after cutting his teeth as a rookie free agent

And just last year fullback Will Johnson and safety Robert Golden made the team as undrafted rookie free agents.

Clearly the odds may be stacked against these young men, but the Steelers will certainly give them a fair shot.

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