PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was the first preseason game of his first NFL training camp that Steelers first-round pick Troy Fautanu suffered a knee injury. As he works his way back, he tells us how he stays sharp.
Reports from the Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac that Fautanu will be the starting right tackle when he's healthy, that would move Broderick Jones to his natural left tackle position. However, right now, Fautanu isn't practicing.
"Making sure I prepare myself, mentally more than anything," Fautanu said. "My biggest enemy is overthinking too much sometimes. Not going out there and letting my ability take over. For me right now it's just making sure I'm locked in terms of the playbook so come game time I'm not thinking about anything. Just making sure I do the job to the best of my ability."
He said he continues to progress back from injury, albeit slow. Fautanu notes it's better than the alternative. The rookie was rolled up on in the first quarter of the Houston game, just a few snaps into his pro career. He felt like he had to continue to play through it. Fautanu said it started to bother him coming down the steps from the clubhouse to the field at Acrisure Stadium in the period from halftime to the start of the third quarter. He didn't opt out, rather just asked for a knee brace because he knew something was wrong, but wanted to keep playing.
Fautanu said he's watched that game 100 times going through every detail. He said he didn't play his best. That he holds himself to a higher standard, regardless of the injury. What helps now is having that experience. He said he was nervous early in the game like he was the first day of Steelers offseason Organized Team Activities in May.
When he gets back out there, Fautanu just wants to be able to react and play faster. What helps is making sure he's confident and he says he plays confident when he's prepared.
"My biggest enemy is overthinking too much sometimes," Fautanu said. "Not going out there and letting my ability take over. For me right now it's just making sure I'm locked in terms of the playbook so come game time I'm not thinking about anything. Just making sure I do the job to the best of my ability."
Fautanu has dealt with early setbacks before. He graduated high school early so he could enroll at the University of Washington in the winter and participate in Spring ball. However, three months into the program, he broke his foot. So instead of just missing high school prom, he was also missing college practice.
The lesson he learned was the value of mental reps. Making sure that if he's playing or not he focuses on every day so that he's not falling off. Whether that's as a starter or a back-up September 8 in Atlanta.
"Whatever role they have me playing, regardless if I'm playing or not, making sure that I'm ready," Fautanu said. "Making sure I prepare myself, mentally more than anything."
