One of the most interesting things to watch this training camp will be how the inside linebacker position shapes out for the Pittsburgh Steelers. With one spot already nailed down by Lawrence Timmons, up to three players will be vying for the other spot in Dick LeBeau’s 3-4-scheme.
More interesting than the battle itself will be watching Sean Spence step onto a football field for the first time since 2012, when he wowed Steelers fans during the preseason until he suffered a horrific injury and a subsequent setback that has kept him off the field since.
Drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami, Spence hit the draft process hard, recording back-to-back 100-tackle seasons with the Hurricanes. On film, there wasn’t much to dislike about the linebacker, but his size (sub-6-footer), allowed him to be available during the third round.
“One of my favorite players on tape. He’s one of the more instinctive linebackers in this draft,” NFL Network Analyst Mike Mayock said of Spence. “In the 3-4 scheme in Pittsburgh, he’s going to have to play outside or that Will linebacker inside. Either way, I don’t care, because I really like the way he plays.”
We have seen it time and time again in the NFL. A player excels on tape but due to the overanalyzing that takes place during in the pre-draft process, his draft stock is hurt. In this case, there was too much emphasis on his size – or lack of it – as opposed to his on-the-field production that never suffered due to it.
With Timmons and Larry Foote locked in as 2012 starters, Spence appeared to put himself in a great position to make himself one of the top reserves at the position heading into the season, until tragedy struck. During the last preseason game, Spence suffered a torn ACL and LCL to go along with a fractured knee cap and nerve damage. His career seemed over before it got started.
But Spence never gave up. He worked, worked and worked harder to put himself into a position to actually have a chance of playing football again. Linebacker coach Keith Butler realized the magnitude of his comeback, saying,
“From what I’ve seen on the field I know I said about a year or so ago that it would be miraculous if he came back, and I hope he proves me wrong… It is getting really close to being miraculous. He looks real good to me.”
Just as it seemed that Spence would be ready to hit the field again, another setback occurred. The setback was a broken hand that would require surgery, and would wipe out another season. What seemed within his grasps was once again pulled away from him, maybe harder this time.
“When the finger injury happened and I found out I had to have surgery on it I wanted to cry, I cried myself to sleep. I was so mad because I got back to where I wanted with the knee and to have a broken finger and need another surgery it was so upsetting.”
It’s hard to have your dream within reach only to have it pulled away from you. Spence dealt with that not once, but twice. But if there was a silver lining to it, Spence found it and relished in it.
“But it was a blessing in disguise; it gave me more time to heal, more time to learn.”
While he has been learning and healing off the field, the Steelers have added more bodies to the competition to make it difficult for him once he gets on the field. The Steelers drafted Vince Williams in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft, and due to injuries he started 11 games this past season, giving him an edge over Spence. Also this past draft, Pittsburgh added Ryan Shazier with their first-round pick. Shazier has the ability to be like Troy Polamalu inside the box for the Steelers, which could knock Spence even further down the depth chart.
But Spence has the right attitude heading into camp. He believes that everything he has dealt with and learned over the past two seasons will all pay off in the end, and maybe he will grab the starting spot opposite Timmons.
“I don’t think anybody wants to stay with the 2’s. We’re all competing as a linebacker group, I trust the coaching staff to make the best decision for the team.”
As far as his actual chances of getting the starting job, the odds are certainly stacked against him. But he hasn’t crumbled over those odds so far, and now he finally has the chance to get on the field and do what he does best – play football.
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