Wednesday, April 29, 2009
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
UNLV photoFrank Summers: At 5 feet 9 and 242 pounds, could he be an option around the goal line?
At one point in his junior season at UNLV, Frank "The Tank" Summers suddenly saw himself as Frank the frog.
The Rebels had the ball near the opponent's goal line, the perfect spot to call on their 5-foot-9, 242-pound Tank. He took the ball, headed toward the end zone -- and leaped as high as he could. The defense stopped him in midflight before he could score.
"He tried to get too fancy," UNLV coach Mike Sanford said yesterday. "I told him he needs to know who he is and how he's built; he needs to run them over."
Summers heeded his coach's advice.
"He told me to use my speed and power, that there's no reason to be in the air when you can run over everybody," Summers said yesterday. "You always see it on TV -- the all-star running back doing it; you figure the end zone is just right there, if I can just jump over. In that case, it wasn't the best idea.
"I believe that's the last time I jumped."
The Steelers drafted Summers in the fifth round Sunday specifically because he is The Tank, someone with the power and know-how to get into the end zone. Everyone knows the frustration coach Mike Tomlin had with his offense's spotty record of scoring touchdowns inside the 5 last season.
"No," Tomlin said sarcastically Sunday, "I enjoyed it!"
It nearly hurt the Steelers' chances to win their sixth Super Bowl. They had a first down at Arizona's 1 near the end of their first drive, gave the ball to Gary Russell and he was spilled for a4-yard loss. They wound up with a field goal.
Summers watched that series, thinking he would love to be in that position. Now he is, or at least has a good chance to be.
The Steelers have not had a true goal-line back since Jerome Bettis retired after the 2005 season. They've tried Russell, Willie Parker, Mewelde Moore, Najeh Davenport and Carey Davis. Now comes The Tank, who believes he can be that plow horse for them.
"I know I can be," Summers said. "I love scoring touchdowns and, when it's crunch time in a game and they're looking at a short-yardage situation, that's what I pride myself on. That's the best feeling in the world.
"I don't think I could fit any better than on any other team in the league. With Pittsburgh's physical play and my physical style, we go hand in hand."
Summers runs low to the ground -- think a bigger Barry Foster -- and that's an asset for backs looking for the tough yardage. With Parker, Rashard Mendenhall and Moore, the Steelers weren't looking for another breakaway threat. They need the exclamation point."Very rarely does he get dropped in the backfield," Tomlin said. "Short-yardage, goal-line situations have been an asset of his game."
There's another love of The Tank's life besides scoring.
"I love special teams. It's a time for me to really hit somebody without carrying the ball, just to run 60 or 50 yards downfield like a crazy man. I love to play the sport of football. Special teams is my favorite part of the game; anytime people were punting or kicking off, that was my favorite part."
He'll get his chance there, too.
"He will make a contribution on special teams," UNLV's Sanford promised. "He's a very determined, very physical player, a tough guy; very, very good in short-yardage, goal-line situations.
"I'm very excited for him because he's very deserving of this opportunity and I think the Steelers' organization will love him."
NOTES -- The Steelers signed five more undrafted rookie free agents, bringing the total to 13. In the latest batch are wide receiver Steven Black of Memphis, defensive tackle Jeff Bradley of Western Carolina, wide receiver Cedrick Goodman of Georgia, defensive tackle Steve McLendon of Troy and running back Isaac Redman of Boise State. ... The time of the Steelers' Sept. 27 game at Cincinnati has been changed to 4:15 p.m. from 1 p.m.
Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
First published on April 29, 2009 at 12:00 am
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