From the moment the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up to draft then-USC safety Troy Polamalu in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft, we knew he was destined for greatness. Polamalu had one of the best careers in the history of the franchise and he was rewarded on Saturday night when he was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Despite being a heralded rookie, Polamalu didn’t get his first start with the Steelers until his sophomore season. He replaced Mike Logan in the starting lineup and never looked back. Polamalu was a living, breathing highlight reel. His level of instinctual play was unparalleled in the league which made him all-but-impossible to gameplan for.
Polamalu played all 12 of his NFL seasons with the Steelers. During that stretch he amassed 783 total tackles and 32 interceptions. But Polamalu’s game was never about piling up lots of gaudy stats. It was how timely and important his stats were. The perfect tackle on third down. Or a pass breakup to stall a drive.
Congratulations on Polamalu for such an honor. This cements his status as one of the greatest safeties in league history.
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