Notebook: Foote playing bigger than his size
Rookie Larry Foote said he was not upset that 13 linebackers and 127 players were drafted ahead of him.
"In the NFL, you have a lot of politics," he said.
But, he promises, "The cream will rise to the top."
Foote, a fourth-round selection from Michigan, is one of the flashiest young defenders in Steelers camp, running around from his inside linebacker position and on special teams making life miserable for blockers and ball carriers. Using his sharp instincts and nose for the football, he made his initial mark last Thursday when he slammed into running back R.J. Bowers, who held onto the ball but injured his hip. Bowers has yet to return to practice.
Foote intercepted a pass Saturday, ending the goal-line drill with a decisive victory for the defense.
Foote acknowledged that the hit on Bowers was a good one, but it paled in comparison to many of his best at Michigan, where he was the Big Ten defensive player of the year in 2001.
"I had a lot more vicious ones," he said.
Foote said he hit an Iowa wide receiver coming across the middle last year, but never found out how badly the player was hurt. Yet, he proudly proclaimed, "He didn't come back in."
Foote was largely ignored in the draft because he stands only 6-foot and weighs 231 pounds. He also ran a slow 40-yard dash time at the scouting combine (4.83 seconds).
He certainly looks — and plays — solid enough, but he doesn't have the ideal size and speed that NFL teams want in their inside linebackers.
Earl Holmes, who manned the position for the Steelers for half a decade, took his 6-2, 245-pound frame to the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. The replacements, James Farrior and John Fiala, are 6-2, 242, and 6-3, 237, respectively. For want of 2 or 3 inches, 10 pounds and 3/10ths of a second, Foote fell into the fourth round where he settled for a $269,000 signing bonus. UCLA's Robert Thomas, the only linebacker selected in the first round, got $3 million from the St. Louis Rams.
"I was kind of upset," Foote said of his four-round snub by nearly every team in the NFL. "I went to the Senior Bowl, and I was matched up with a lot of linebackers. On film and on the field, it was quite obvious I was better than them.
"A lot of guys look better than me on paper."
Foote, who runs through the wrong hole and is out of position on occasion, will have an opportunity to win a starting job no sooner than training camp next year. Coach Bill Cowher is more comfortable with the veterans Farrior, Fiala and Pro Bowler Kendrell Bell this year.
Nonetheless, Foote is picking up the defense quickly because the Steelers use similar alignments and terminology to what was used at Michigan.
"Coach (Mike) Archer is doing a good job, spending extra time with me," Foote said. "When you know what you are doing, you can play a little freer out there. I'm able to fly around and play my game."
Meanwhile, Foote will settle for a prominent role on the Steelers' special teams. He said he played every special team during his first three years at Michigan before his duties were limited to the punt team as a senior.
STRONG TIES
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and his former high school coach at Upper St. Clair, Joe Moore, met up with several old friends at camp yesterday.
Moore, who has coached at several places in a long and distinguished career, noted that he has several ties to Steelers players and coaches. He recruited running back Jerome Bettis to Notre Dame and defensive coordinator Tim Lewis to Pitt, coached offensive line coach Russ Grimm at Pitt and coached with defensive line coach John Mitchell at Temple and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements at Notre Dame. He also was a consultant to the Baltimore Ravens when Steelers tight ends coach Ken Whisenhunt was on their staff.
Ferentz was a graduate assistant at Pitt when Moore was the Panthers' offensive line coach.
MORE THAN LUCK
Ferentz is glad he doesn't have to compete against Foote any longer. He said that he thought Foote was "under-drafted."
"I think the Steelers got a steal. I admire how they 'stumble' upon good players. It's not luck."
SIMMONS UPDATE
As promised, rookie No. 1 draft choice Kendall Simmons returned to the second team yesterday, but he got some snaps with the first team when Oliver Ross suffered a slight elbow injury. Ross returned and finished practice as the starter, but not before Simmons made another silent pitch for the job.
During one of his plays as the starting right guard, Simmons doggedly kept nose tackle Casey Hampton away from quarterback Kordell Stewart. The result was a pretty pass to tight end Matt Cushing, who made a diving catch in the end zone.
