Is Shazier getting a reputation as being soft?

Pay close attention to what both Keith Butler and Vince Williams say in this article. They seem to be saying "suck it up, sweet pea, this is the NFL which stands for Not For Long when you can't play through little boo boos.". Am I reading too much into their comments or do you get the sense that they feel he's a little on the soft side?

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/9560649-74/shazier-injury-injuries#axzz3tGe5bKId

“He has to play through them, and that's part of growing up and being a veteran in the National Football League,” Butler said. “If you are waiting to feel good before you play, you are never going to play. He's dealing with that right now, and hopefully we can get him on the field and keep him on the field.”
--Keith Butler on Shazier

Williams, the definition of tough-guy linebacker, also said Shazier has to “grind through” injuries. "This is the NFL, and it is a very physical sport,” Williams said. “I think he is mentally strong. He always comes back and has strong games when he misses some time with those little bumps and bruises.”
--Vince Williams on Shazier

 

Butlers comments are interesting, to say the least.

The problem is in part that Shazier's speed is his biggest weapon. Niggles and bumps may not be problems for Vince Williams, but if they mean losing a step, then Shazier has lost a big part of his game.

All the more so because his positioning needs work. I fully expect him to learn those points in due time.

 

It seems the get out there and play if at all possible message is being sent....We need hi out there if he has no danger of making his injury worse ....Teams and Coaches have to look at time spent off the field when building a roster and I am sure they want him to understand that...

 

to be honest the kid needs to get a little thicker for his spot. the weight room is your friend. that said, yes it's pretty clear that they think he has to play through some pain, but i remember one game he came back in from the knee and was very ineffective. just being on the field doesn't scare other teams if he's just running around. we have some good depth at the position right now so use it. next year or the year after we may not.

to be honest, when garvin and spence and shazier were all dinged up i was suprised fortt wasn't brought up. that kid has some game and could/would be a welcomed addition to the inside or at least ST's.

 

Is it me, or does Shazier seem to play out of control at times? We've all heard the term "controlled rage" but he seems to be running all over the place showcasing his great speed and at times just looks out of control. He's a very fast player but he's got to develop the mental game to go with it. I think once he does that he'll be more in control of his physicality.

 

I could see their point if he had a bruised thigh or a broken pinkie or something.

We're talking about knee swelling, nerve damage and brain bruising. There are times to play through soft injuries and a time to not make a bad situation worse. If he can't bend his knee he's of no use to us. If he can't use an arm he's of no use to us. If he can't chew his own food he's of no use to anyone.

When he starts sitting games due to some piddly crap I'll label him soft. But considering the way he rockets his body around the field slamming into people with recklessness, I'll withhold judgment for now .

I still think the amount of time he misses is alarming and could impact his career.

 

To be fair, the article was quick to point out that Butler wasn't referring to Shazier playing through a concussion. But there does seem to be some rumblings and implications that Shazier's other injuries should not be keeping him from playing.

 

My opinion is that he (and Bell) is too lean. Not too light, but too lean. I think both of their body fat % are below or around 5%, and while I could be grasping at straws, I don't think that's necessarily a good thing in a contact sport. I don't think he needs to bulk up, he needs to fatten up just a tad.

 

Speed? Yes he does. But takes bad angles and makes bad judgments at times. Can count on one hand the games he has made a real difference.
You can't make a difference (concussion withstanding) if your not on the field. He has been called out by Butler. I do agree he needs to bulk up a bit.
Hope he can become the player worthy of the 1st round selection...They already have one of those on the roster who has not lived up to that billing...

 

That lack of body fat is downright unhealthy. I said so at the time Bell posted that picture of his medical form. Where the medical form said, explicitly, it was unhealthy to have that little body fat.

 

What is Porter saying? He is the resident expert on soft when he says it I'll believe it.

 

Where the heck are Shazier's eyebrows?

 

Yeah - if this is Butler's approach to injuries, God knows what he made of Sean Spence. "Why aren't you running? You'll never be a pro if you can't get through a little pain!"

 

Yeah, especially if Tomlin himself pulled Shazier back from returning to the field Sunday.

 

All I know is Greg Lloyd had stingers all the time and missed a series at most....

 

Alopecia? That's kinda obvious, but I wonder what's causing it?

 

Edit: Sounds like he was picked on as a kid because of his condition. I had no Idea, just thought he was shaving everything.

 

Apparently he has some condition since he was a kid... when I first saw it though... I was like yeah right... STEROIDS! LOL!

Sux it is something he has to live with and was made fun of for though.

I can't imagine no eyebrows... sweat would be going right into your eyes.

 

He can't seem to be able to stay on the field, I have mentioned numerous times
that he needs to add weight, which this past off season him and JJ both improved
in this area, maybe another year in the weight room? I am growing less patient
with him more and more. I want a player that is out their playing week in week out.

As for Bell, him playing at 215 was stupid, I know this wasn't the cause of his injury,
but the NFL is for big boys, every week there going to bring it. He should play
at 235 and run lower to the ground, this will extend his short career.

 

I'm going to throw this out there and see what it churns up. Perhaps when Coach Lebeau was holding guys out for three years it had less to do with playing favorites and knowing the system and more to do with being physically prepared for the rigors of profootball. Both Jones and Shazier saw time in their first year both are struggling with nagging injuries, coincidence?

 

Maybe. I know it's often the case that the younger guys don't take recovery as seriously - less time in the ice tub etc. - and that can have knock-on effects to how they deal with more serious injuries.