Aug 20, 2009 4 min read

UNITY TWP. – Frank Summers left practice Wednesday with a hamstring injury about which Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin did not know the severity. But it’s doubtful “The Tank” will let it become an obstacle. “By the blessing of God, I’ve been able to overcome a lot,” said the squat and powerful rookie fullback.

Summers grew up in the same West Oakland (Calif.) neighborhood that spawned Marvel Smith. It’s a rugged neighborhood, one that Smith fled by spurning a scholarship offer from nearby Cal-Berkley and going instead to Arizona State.

Summers came along a decade later and tried Cal, but left for Laney Junior College to play for his and Smith’s coach at Skyline High, John Beam.

“He always stayed on top of me,” said Summers. “There were times he beat me up and cussed me out, but it was a great job by him. He mentored me. He was the guy telling me that if you want something out of life, if you want a scholarship, this is what you have to do: You have to go to school, you have to get good grades, you have to stay out of trouble.”

The Tank helped Beam to three conference titles in high school and two conference titles at Laney. Smith even stepped in to buy the squad rings after it won one of its two bowl games.

Smith has remained close to Summers, telling him when he joined the Steelers that “it’s a blue-collar town, it’s a great team, a great organization, that I’m really going to like it, and that I’ll fit in great with my work ethic and how hard I play and practice, and so far it’s so true.”

Summers “has shown a good appetite for violence” in his blocking, according to Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson.

“That’s what you want,” Wilson said. “But you can’t teach the violence, and that’s something that he has a real good feel for. We noticed it immediately.”

Summers knows all about violence after growing up in West Oakland. One of his best friends was shot and killed the night before leaving to play football at the University of Oregon. Another friend was shot and paralyzed two nights before leaving for Arizona State. Summers believes he avoided trouble because of Beam and a strong support network run by his grandmother, mother and aunt.

Now, after getting a college degree from UNLV, Summers is trying to preach his message to his 17- and 10-year-old younger brothers.

“I think about them every day,” he said. “Talked to them last night and school is getting ready to start and I just miss my time with them. I hope they’re doing well and I try to give them positive thoughts.”

The 17-year-old is a 6-5, 285-pound defensive lineman entering his freshman year at Laney. Summers said we’ll hear about him soon enough.

Asked whether he wanted some of his brother’s 6-feet-5, the squat Summers smiled and said, “maybe an inch or two.”

Right now, Summers is in a camp battle. He’s a talented but raw prospect trying to catch on with a veteran team that won’t allow for rookie mistakes. But if he doesn’t make it here, he won’t just go back and sink into the West Oakland abyss.

“No, God has a plan for me,” he said.

“Right now, I’m here and trying as hard as I can to make this ballclub. But God always has a plan for me. I’ve grown up in church and I’ve been successful at everything I’ve done in life. When something hasn’t worked out, I’ve overcome a lot. To say I’ll fall short right now …”

With that he looked off, as if failure was incomprehensible.

No, a tight hamstring’s not going to stop this Tank.