Latest news with #Fautanu
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steelers banking on offensive line investment paying off
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (BLACK AND GOLD NATION) – Pittsburgh has selected five offensive linemen in Omar Khan's first two drafts as general manager. The Steelers are now hoping that investment will pay off in 2025. 'All the teams that end up winning on Sundays usually starts up front,' Steelers offensive tackle Troy Fautanu said. 'Chiseled' Cole Holcomb ready to make impact in return from injury In 2023 and 2024, tackles Broderick Jones and Fautanu were first-round picks in back-to-back drafts. Khan doubled down on adding to the unit in the 2024 NFL draft with second-round center Zach Frazier and fourth-round guard Mason McCormick. 'It's super awesome because we all have that same goal (to win), we all have the same mindset coming to work every single day,' Fautanu said. '(Our work is) going to pay dividends on Sundays once we finally are able to go out there and put it all together.' This is expected to be the year for the entire core to put it all together. Veteran offensive guard Isaac Seumalo may not be vocal, but his consistent play and steadiness do all the talking that he needs to lead the young group. Frazier's strong rookie season gives plenty of confidence that he's the center the Steelers have needed since Maurkice Pouncey retired. 'He doesn't seem like a guy going into his second year. He seems like a mature guy and mature veteran already,' Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph said. 'You could just see as the year went on, his confidence grew and he's (comfortable) out there running the show,' Fautanu said. McCormick, who started 14 games in his rookie campaign, showed plenty of promise as well and should grow heading into his second year. Meanwhile, Fautanu is ready to step up after missing nearly the entirety of his rookie season with a knee injury. '(My rehab) was a long process, but something that I'm getting used to now, it's just a part of who I am and the player that I have to be,' Fautanu said. 'I'm just super excited to finally be back out here and be with the guys.' After playing his first two seasons at right tackle, Jones is finally moving back to his natural position at left tackle with the departure of Dan Moore Jr. 'He looks good,' Fautanu said. 'We're all excited to be at the spots that we are.' 'Broderick is an athletic guy,' Rudolph said. 'Talking to him, he seems more comfortable there on the left, and he's done a great job.' The Steelers wrap up week two of Organized Team Activities on Thursday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
28-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
A knee injury cost Steelers' Troy Fautanu his rookie season. Hitting reset wasn't easy
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The moment when Troy Fautanu's rookie season came to a painful halt is seared into his brain. Asked to relive it on Wednesday after a rainy organized team activity, the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle lifted his massive right hand and pointed toward one of the far end zones in the fields tucked behind the club's practice facility. It was a Friday in late September. The 20th overall pick in the 2024 draft was coming off the first start of his career in Week 2 against Denver, fully healed from a sprained left knee that forced him to miss most of the preseason. Fautanu trotted onto the practice field with the rest of the offense for a series of 2-point conversion drills called 'seven shots.' Fautanu backpedaled to set up in pass protection when his right knee 'got caught up in the ground weird.' The rest of his 6-foot-4, 317-pound frame kept moving. His leg did not. The result? A tear in the ligament designed to keep the knee stable. Season-ending surgery soon followed, with lingering doubts about whether he could make it back not far behind. 'There were a lot of nights where you can't really see the light on the other side of the tunnel,' Fautanu said. It wasn't just the daunting physical rehab, but the emotional toll that came along with it. He knew as a first-round pick, that his job was to get on the field as quickly as possible. Now that was gone. He had already bought tickets for his family to come watch him play. Now they would hop on planes to watch him stand on the sidelines in sweats instead of on the field in his No. 76 uniform. For a player of Polynesian descent who counts Steelers Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu as one of his role models, and who had never really been hurt before and now found himself recovering a couple of thousand miles from home. It felt extraordinarily difficult in the moment. Looking back now, he believes it was also one of growth. He realized — with the help of nearly daily phone calls with his mother, Ma, — that he needed to stop trying to fast-forward to the end and lean into the healing process instead. 'I would say I was my biggest enemy sometimes, thinking about the future when really I had to just lock into what was going on that day," Fautanu said. 'But I felt like once I did lock in and really just focus on the day to day, I really like turned a corner on my recovery.' The Steelers feel confident enough in Fautanu's recovery that they have finally executed a long-gestating plan to have Fautanu start at right tackle with Broderick Jones — their top pick in 2023 — moving to left tackle. (The real beneficiary of Fautanu's misfortune may be Dan Moore Jr., who held down left tackle all of last season when Jones was forced to stay on the right side with Fautanu out. Moore signed a massive four-year deal with Tennessee in March.) The plan is to bring Fautanu along slowly. It's a plan Fautanu is fully on board with, though he'd be lying if he wanted to throw caution to the wind when that familiar adrenaline spike hit the first time he lined up when OTAs began on Tuesday. 'Once I took that first rep, it's like ... 'I don't want to get out. I don't want to want to get out,'' Fautanu said with a laugh, covering his mouth briefly after uttering an expletive to punctuate his point. 'So yeah, it's also like trying to be smart, but I'm a competitor, man. I love being out there.' So do the Steelers, who have invested heavily in the offensive line in recent years while their search for a franchise quarterback continues. If all goes as planned, Jones and Fautanu will serve as the bookends, with second-year center Zach Frazier in the middle, flanked by second-year guard Mason McCormick and veteran Isaac Seumalo. Fautanu doesn't think it will take long for the group to gel, in part because they're already 'super tight,' a bond that firmly took hold last fall as he navigated an uncertain path back to the field that was for more daunting than he anticipated. It wasn't fun. But it might have been necessary for someone who believes everything happens for a reason. 'It made me more hungry than I already was, and I was pretty damn ready to play,' he said. 'But yeah, I mean those nights sitting in my room like man, am I gonna come back, this, that and the other. There's a whole lot of thoughts going through my head, but at the end of the day I made it through and I feel like that's what made me stronger. That's what's going to make me and feel me to play the best that I can for this team."
Winnipeg Free Press
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
A knee injury cost Steelers' Troy Fautanu his rookie season. Hitting reset wasn't easy
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The moment when Troy Fautanu's rookie season came to a painful halt is seared into his brain. Asked to relive it on Wednesday after a rainy organized team activity, the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle lifted his massive right hand and pointed toward one of the far end zones in the fields tucked behind the club's practice facility. It was a Friday in late September. The 20th overall pick in the 2024 draft was coming off the first start of his career in Week 2 against Denver, fully healed from a sprained left knee that forced him to miss most of the preseason. Fautanu trotted onto the practice field with the rest of the offense for a series of 2-point conversion drills called 'seven shots.' Fautanu backpedaled to set up in pass protection when his right knee 'got caught up in the ground weird.' The rest of his 6-foot-4, 317-pound frame kept moving. His leg did not. The result? A tear in the ligament designed to keep the knee stable. Season-ending surgery soon followed, with lingering doubts about whether he could make it back not far behind. 'There were a lot of nights where you can't really see the light on the other side of the tunnel,' Fautanu said. It wasn't just the daunting physical rehab, but the emotional toll that came along with it. He knew as a first-round pick, that his job was to get on the field as quickly as possible. Now that was gone. He had already bought tickets for his family to come watch him play. Now they would hop on planes to watch him stand on the sidelines in sweats instead of on the field in his No. 76 uniform. For a player of Polynesian descent who counts Steelers Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu as one of his role models, and who had never really been hurt before and now found himself recovering a couple of thousand miles from home. It felt extraordinarily difficult in the moment. Looking back now, he believes it was also one of growth. He realized — with the help of nearly daily phone calls with his mother, Ma, — that he needed to stop trying to fast-forward to the end and lean into the healing process instead. 'I would say I was my biggest enemy sometimes, thinking about the future when really I had to just lock into what was going on that day,' Fautanu said. 'But I felt like once I did lock in and really just focus on the day to day, I really like turned a corner on my recovery.' The Steelers feel confident enough in Fautanu's recovery that they have finally executed a long-gestating plan to have Fautanu start at right tackle with Broderick Jones — their top pick in 2023 — moving to left tackle. (The real beneficiary of Fautanu's misfortune may be Dan Moore Jr., who held down left tackle all of last season when Jones was forced to stay on the right side with Fautanu out. Moore signed a massive four-year deal with Tennessee in March.) The plan is to bring Fautanu along slowly. It's a plan Fautanu is fully on board with, though he'd be lying if he wanted to throw caution to the wind when that familiar adrenaline spike hit the first time he lined up when OTAs began on Tuesday. 'Once I took that first rep, it's like … 'I don't want to get out. I don't want to want to get out,'' Fautanu said with a laugh, covering his mouth briefly after uttering an expletive to punctuate his point. 'So yeah, it's also like trying to be smart, but I'm a competitor, man. I love being out there.' So do the Steelers, who have invested heavily in the offensive line in recent years while their search for a franchise quarterback continues. If all goes as planned, Jones and Fautanu will serve as the bookends, with second-year center Zach Frazier in the middle, flanked by second-year guard Mason McCormick and veteran Isaac Seumalo. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Fautanu doesn't think it will take long for the group to gel, in part because they're already 'super tight,' a bond that firmly took hold last fall as he navigated an uncertain path back to the field that was for more daunting than he anticipated. It wasn't fun. But it might have been necessary for someone who believes everything happens for a reason. 'It made me more hungry than I already was, and I was pretty damn ready to play,' he said. 'But yeah, I mean those nights sitting in my room like man, am I gonna come back, this, that and the other. There's a whole lot of thoughts going through my head, but at the end of the day I made it through and I feel like that's what made me stronger. That's what's going to make me and feel me to play the best that I can for this team.' ___ AP NFL:
Fox Sports
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
A knee injury cost Steelers' Troy Fautanu his rookie season. Hitting reset wasn't easy
Associated Press PITTSBURGH (AP) — The moment when Troy Fautanu's rookie season came to a painful halt is seared into his brain. Asked to relive it on Wednesday after a rainy organized team activity, the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle lifted his massive right hand and pointed toward one of the far end zones in the fields tucked behind the club's practice facility. It was a Friday in late September. The 20th overall pick in the 2024 draft was coming off the first start of his career in Week 2 against Denver, fully healed from a sprained left knee that forced him to miss most of the preseason. Fautanu trotted onto the practice field with the rest of the offense for a series of 2-point conversion drills called 'seven shots.' Fautanu backpedaled to set up in pass protection when his right knee 'got caught up in the ground weird.' The rest of his 6-foot-4, 317-pound frame kept moving. His leg did not. The result? A tear in the ligament designed to keep the knee stable. Season-ending surgery soon followed, with lingering doubts about whether he could make it back not far behind. 'There were a lot of nights where you can't really see the light on the other side of the tunnel,' Fautanu said. It wasn't just the daunting physical rehab, but the emotional toll that came along with it. He knew as a first-round pick, that his job was to get on the field as quickly as possible. Now that was gone. He had already bought tickets for his family to come watch him play. Now they would hop on planes to watch him stand on the sidelines in sweats instead of on the field in his No. 76 uniform. For a player of Polynesian descent who counts Steelers Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu as one of his role models, and who had never really been hurt before and now found himself recovering a couple of thousand miles from home. It felt extraordinarily difficult in the moment. Looking back now, he believes it was also one of growth. He realized — with the help of nearly daily phone calls with his mother, Ma, — that he needed to stop trying to fast-forward to the end and lean into the healing process instead. 'I would say I was my biggest enemy sometimes, thinking about the future when really I had to just lock into what was going on that day," Fautanu said. 'But I felt like once I did lock in and really just focus on the day to day, I really like turned a corner on my recovery.' The Steelers feel confident enough in Fautanu's recovery that they have finally executed a long-gestating plan to have Fautanu start at right tackle with Broderick Jones — their top pick in 2023 — moving to left tackle. (The real beneficiary of Fautanu's misfortune may be Dan Moore Jr., who held down left tackle all of last season when Jones was forced to stay on the right side with Fautanu out. Moore signed a massive four-year deal with Tennessee in March.) The plan is to bring Fautanu along slowly. It's a plan Fautanu is fully on board with, though he'd be lying if he wanted to throw caution to the wind when that familiar adrenaline spike hit the first time he lined up when OTAs began on Tuesday. 'Once I took that first rep, it's like ... 'I don't want to get out. I don't want to want to get out,'' Fautanu said with a laugh, covering his mouth briefly after uttering an expletive to punctuate his point. 'So yeah, it's also like trying to be smart, but I'm a competitor, man. I love being out there.' So do the Steelers, who have invested heavily in the offensive line in recent years while their search for a franchise quarterback continues. If all goes as planned, Jones and Fautanu will serve as the bookends, with second-year center Zach Frazier in the middle, flanked by second-year guard Mason McCormick and veteran Isaac Seumalo. Fautanu doesn't think it will take long for the group to gel, in part because they're already 'super tight,' a bond that firmly took hold last fall as he navigated an uncertain path back to the field that was for more daunting than he anticipated. It wasn't fun. But it might have been necessary for someone who believes everything happens for a reason. 'It made me more hungry than I already was, and I was pretty damn ready to play,' he said. 'But yeah, I mean those nights sitting in my room like man, am I gonna come back, this, that and the other. There's a whole lot of thoughts going through my head, but at the end of the day I made it through and I feel like that's what made me stronger. That's what's going to make me and feel me to play the best that I can for this team." ___ AP NFL: recommended
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A knee injury cost Steelers' Troy Fautanu his rookie season. Hitting reset wasn't easy
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The moment when Troy Fautanu's rookie season came to a painful halt is seared into his brain. Asked to relive it on Wednesday after a rainy organized team activity, the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle lifted his massive right hand and pointed toward one of the far end zones in the fields tucked behind the club's practice facility. Advertisement It was a Friday in late September. The 20th overall pick in the 2024 draft was coming off the first start of his career in Week 2 against Denver, fully healed from a sprained left knee that forced him to miss most of the preseason. Fautanu trotted onto the practice field with the rest of the offense for a series of 2-point conversion drills called 'seven shots.' Fautanu backpedaled to set up in pass protection when his right knee 'got caught up in the ground weird.' The rest of his 6-foot-4, 317-pound frame kept moving. His leg did not. The result? A tear in the ligament designed to keep the knee stable. Season-ending surgery soon followed, with lingering doubts about whether he could make it back not far behind. 'There were a lot of nights where you can't really see the light on the other side of the tunnel,' Fautanu said. It wasn't just the daunting physical rehab, but the emotional toll that came along with it. He knew as a first-round pick, that his job was to get on the field as quickly as possible. Now that was gone. He had already bought tickets for his family to come watch him play. Now they would hop on planes to watch him stand on the sidelines in sweats instead of on the field in his No. 76 uniform. Advertisement For a player of Polynesian descent who counts Steelers Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu as one of his role models, and who had never really been hurt before and now found himself recovering a couple of thousand miles from home. It felt extraordinarily difficult in the moment. Looking back now, he believes it was also one of growth. He realized — with the help of nearly daily phone calls with his mother, Ma, — that he needed to stop trying to fast-forward to the end and lean into the healing process instead. 'I would say I was my biggest enemy sometimes, thinking about the future when really I had to just lock into what was going on that day," Fautanu said. 'But I felt like once I did lock in and really just focus on the day to day, I really like turned a corner on my recovery.' The Steelers feel confident enough in Fautanu's recovery that they have finally executed a long-gestating plan to have Fautanu start at right tackle with Broderick Jones — their top pick in 2023 — moving to left tackle. (The real beneficiary of Fautanu's misfortune may be Dan Moore Jr., who held down left tackle all of last season when Jones was forced to stay on the right side with Fautanu out. Moore signed a massive four-year deal with Tennessee in March.) Advertisement The plan is to bring Fautanu along slowly. It's a plan Fautanu is fully on board with, though he'd be lying if he wanted to throw caution to the wind when that familiar adrenaline spike hit the first time he lined up when OTAs began on Tuesday. 'Once I took that first rep, it's like ... 'I don't want to get out. I don't want to want to get out,'' Fautanu said with a laugh, covering his mouth briefly after uttering an expletive to punctuate his point. 'So yeah, it's also like trying to be smart, but I'm a competitor, man. I love being out there.' So do the Steelers, who have invested heavily in the offensive line in recent years while their search for a franchise quarterback continues. If all goes as planned, Jones and Fautanu will serve as the bookends, with second-year center Zach Frazier in the middle, flanked by second-year guard Mason McCormick and veteran Isaac Seumalo. Fautanu doesn't think it will take long for the group to gel, in part because they're already 'super tight,' a bond that firmly took hold last fall as he navigated an uncertain path back to the field that was for more daunting than he anticipated. Advertisement It wasn't fun. But it might have been necessary for someone who believes everything happens for a reason. 'It made me more hungry than I already was, and I was pretty damn ready to play,' he said. 'But yeah, I mean those nights sitting in my room like man, am I gonna come back, this, that and the other. There's a whole lot of thoughts going through my head, but at the end of the day I made it through and I feel like that's what made me stronger. That's what's going to make me and feel me to play the best that I can for this team." ___ AP NFL:
