Steelers will start rookie at safety
Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:32 pm
Steelers will start rookie at safety
By Jim Wexell
For The Tribune-Democrat
PITTSBURGH — Ryan Clark missed the last game with an injury and it opened the door for rookie Anthony Smith, who might have slammed it shut on Clark’s days as a starter.
“Anthony played a good game last week,” Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said. “I’d like to see him do it again.”
Smith will get that chance.
Although Clark says he’s healed from his groin injury, it appears he’s fallen behind Smith on the depth chart.
Clark’s reaction?
“I don’t coach, man,” said the veteran the Steelers acquired in free agency last March to replace the departed Chris Hope.
But the Steelers also drafted Smith out of Syracuse in the third round, and it appears he’s passed the veteran for good.
“That’s not necessarily the case,” LeBeau said. “Ryan’s groin’s still a little sore. Playing Anthony just allows us to ease Ryan back into it.”
Smith will start Sunday at Carolina, but the Steelers are thin at the position, even with Clark as a backup. Strong safeties Troy Polamalu and Mike Logan are doubtful for the game with knee and hamstring injuries, respectively. Tyrone Carter will start again at strong safety alongside Smith. Clark’s the first reserve and cornerback Deshea Townsend is the emergency safety.
“We’re going to need all of our safeties, trust me,” LeBeau said.
But Smith’s looking at it as an opportunity to build on what he did last week against the Cleveland Browns. His big hits broke up a pair of passes and he also intercepted a pass. His only mistake was taking a bad angle on Braylon Edwards and not wrapping his arms to make the tackle. Edwards ran through Smith on his way to a 45-yard touchdown with 5:20 left in the Steelers’ 27-7 win.
“I was happy with my performance,” Smith said. “The coaches said I had a good game.”
The Steelers have been planning to make Smith their free safety ever since the draft combine. There, Smith turned heads with a 41-inch vertical jump and a 6.75-second three-cone time. He didn’t run a 40, but at his pro day ran a 4.7. The Steelers liked the speed they saw on tape and thought they could trade down out of the second round and still get him in the third.
Smith intercepted two passes in the preseason opener, and then led the team in tackles in each of the next two games before missing the final preseason game with an injury.
He played special teams the first four regular-season games before playing safety late in the Kansas City blowout. Smith moved into the pass-downs packages against New Orleans and broke up two passes. He replaced the injured Clark in the second half against Tampa Bay and then started last week against Cleveland.
“He plays the game very hard,” said Polamalu. “I think he has a good feel for the game.”
Linebacker Larry Foote has also been impressed with Smith.
“He’s definitely a ballplayer,” Foote said. “We knew that at training camp.”
Smith doesn’t expect his relationship with Clark to change.
“Me and Ryan are good friends off the field. No matter what the situation is, nothing will ever come between us. It will all come down to what the coaches want to do and who they want to play.”
