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Pittsburgh Steelers: Looking back at Troy Polamalu

By Robert Brewer

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After 12 NFL seasons, Pittsburgh Steelers’ super safety Troy Polamalu has called it a career. Polamalu walks away from the game he was so passionate about at the age of 33. An eight-time Pro Bowler, a four-time All Pro, the 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and a two-time Super Bowl champion, Polamalu has a litany of accomplishments on the gridiron that will make him a shoe in for pro football’s Hall of Fame.

It is always a difficult decision for a pro athlete when to call it quits, but in Polamalu’s case, I feel he made the right choice. Polamalu most likely could have continued his career elsewhere, but his level of play has dropped significantly in my opinion. In 2014, the Steelers’ defense uncharacteristically ranked 27th in the NFL against the pass. Granted this was not all Polamalu’s fault, but I did notice a trend of Polamalu getting beat deep or being late to deliver a hit this past season more often than usual.

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When Polamalu was in his prime however, his instincts were impeccable. At five-foot-ten inches and roughly 21o pounds, Polamalu always played bigger than his frame would indicate. Whether it was his incredible knack for a perfectly timed blitz at the line of scrimmage or his range to react and pick off a pass in the secondary, it was obvious that Polamalu was a fierce competitor on the field and in the film room. Often times Polamalu would remind me of a heat seeking missile whose sole purpose was to completely obliterate opposing ball carriers.

Thinking two steps ahead of the opponent at the NFL level where mostly every player is well prepared takes hours upon hours of extra work. I will remember Troy Polamalu as an outstanding student of the game that had the unique ability to transfer his PhD level knowledge of the game onto the field. In addition, his incredible leadership qualities allowed for Polumalu to quarterback a Steelers’ defense that was loaded with plenty of qualified individuals like James Harrison and Lawrence Timmons among others.

Aside from his epic performances on the field, Polamalu also garnered plenty of attention for his long flowing hair. In particular, Polamalu’s free flowing mane was featured on several Head and Shoulders commercials throughout the NFL season. These comical advertisements allowed the non-sports watching TV audience to get a glimpse of Polamalu’s softer side.

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In today’s quarterback driven NFL, it is usually very difficult for a defensive player to get national attention in the mainstream media. I feel as though the public interest in Polamalu’s hair gave him a unique marketing advantage over other great defensive stars like Ed Reed or Patrick Willis for example. While Reed and Willis were also outstanding defenders in their own right, they were not as widely recognized as Polamalu in my opinion.

In 158 regular season NFL games, the contributions Polamalu has made to pro football will not soon be forgotten. His unique blend of mainstream media appeal, humble demeanor, and ferocious style of play will be nearly impossible to duplicate. From my perspective, it was an absolute pleasure watching Troy Polamalu play the game of football for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Next: A look back at Patrick Willis

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