The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long and storied history of defensive football. In the 1960’s, the Steelers had cornerback Brady Keys who made it his personal business to attempt to destroy any opponent that would come across his path. The 1970’s in the National Football League were defined by the famed “Steel Curtain” defense of the Steelers which helped Pittsburgh win four Super Bowl Championships. The Steel Curtain was strong at every level with the likes of future Pro Football Hall of Famers in defensive tackle Joe Greene, linebacker Jack Lambert, and cornerback Mel Blount just to name a few. In the 1990’s the Steelers defense was defined by cornerback Rod Woodson along with linebackers Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene who helped Pittsburgh qualify for Super Bowl 30. And when the Steelers were able to claim a pair of Super Bowl Titles during the 2000’s, strong safety Troy Polamalu had a hand in it.
In college, Polamalu was a two-time All-American for the University of Southern California Trojans. Entering the 2003 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers owned the 15th overall pick and they appeared to be the perfect match for Polamalu. The Chargers had recently released strong safety Rodney Harrison and it appeared destined for the native Californian, Polamalu to remain in-state. But when the Chargers decided to trade down in the first round, it paved the way for the Steelers to select Polamalu with the 16th overall pick.
Under Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, Pittsburgh already had a strong defense, and the addition of Polamalu would only make them better.
Polamalu’s ability to freestyle and line up at multiple spots in the defensive formation made LeBeau feel like a kid at Christmas as he had a new toy to play with while giving opposing offenses nightmares. Polamalu played in all 16 games as a rookie, but he didn’t start. However in 2004, Polamalu started all 16 games as he tallied 96 tackles and 5 interceptions en route to earning the first of his eight selections to the Pro Bowl. By 2005, Polamalu was ready to help the Steelers win their first Super Bowl Championship since 1979. Polamalu would go on to help the Steelers hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl Champs once more at the end of the 2008 NFL season. And after that Polamalu would spend the majority of his remaining NFL career competing with former Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed to see who was the best safety in football.
Polamalu captivated the football fans in Western Pennsylvania with his kamikaze style of play to go along with his long, flowing hair which is a tribute to his Samoan heritage. Polamalu played with reckless abandon and he couldn’t have become the household name that he currently is without it. It was nothing for Polamalu to “leap” into the offensive backfield in order to disrupt the play which also made him an internet legend. Polamalu trademarked that defensive leap in the same fashion that it became the signature move of Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton on the offensive side of the football.
Polamalu appeared in 12 games last season and he recorded 69 tackles. But 2014 was the first year since Polamalu’s rookie campaign of 2003 in which didn’t record at least one interception and he also failed to tally a sack. And with some declining defensive skills, the Steelers were hopeful that Polamalu would decide to retire which is exactly what he decided to do this past Thursday when he announced it to everyone.
Polamalu walks away from the game at the age of 33 with his fair share of bumps and bruises. And in an era that is being dominated more than ever by player safety, it was the right decision for Polamalu. Polamalu did miss time for concussions during his career and players have to think about their post-football lives.
Polamalu will finish his National Football League career with 778 tackles, 32 interceptions, 14 forced fumbles, and 3 defensive touchdowns. But Polamalu’s biggest play was reserved for the 2008 AFC Championship Game against the Ravens when his interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter sealed the game.
Although Polamalu didn’t completely walk away on his own terms, he was fortunate to play his entire career with one team which is something that many NFL players cannot say; especially with the history of the Steelers organization as they have a long history of allowing players to leave in free agency. The only question left in regards to Polamalu will be how much detail will be put into his bust in regards to his hair when he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Source: Pro-football-reference.com
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