It’s not easy for Steelers legend Troy Polamalu to be anywhere in Pittsburgh and go unnoticed.
It’s not easy for Troy Polamalu to be anywhere in Pittsburgh and go unnoticed — unless he hides the hair.
NFL reporter Bo Marchionte posted a photo of Polamalu on the sideline at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp on Friday.
The day started with unusually cooler 70-degree temperatures, so the California native got away with a Steelers hoodie, his famous locks all tucked up in a bucket hat and shades to complete the disguise.
The legendary Steelers safety was recently named to ESPN’s top 25 players of the 21st century. Polamalu was the lone Steeler on the list, landing at No. 16. Not surprisingly, Tom Brady came in at No. 1.
If you tune into NFL Network on Tuesday, May 21, you’ll get Tyrann Mathieu’s picks for programing. The New Orleans Saints safety is kicking off the “Player’s Choice” series for 2024 where players around the NFL get the opportunity to curate which programs are shown throughout the day, starting at Noon CT/1 p.m. ET.
And as you might expect, much of Mathieu’s choices feature himself, telling his story in the world of pro football. But his roots run deep. Mathieu is leading off with a pair of NFL Films features “Born and Bred in New Orleans” and “The Mathieu’s.” After that he’s shifting gears to highlight his old coach Bruce Arians and some of the favorite games he’s played in the NFL, including the Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.
Mathieu’s programming block runs late overnight, including highlight reels for two of his favorite players — Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss and Troy Polamalu. But Saints fans should set their DVRs for “Steve Gleason: A Football Life” which is scheduled to run at 2:30 a.m. CT/3:30 a.m. ET in tribute to the New Orleans legend.
He’s put together a fun and memorable slate of programming. Be sure to tune in.
The editor of Fighting Irish Wire holds Troy Polamalu in the highest regard.
Some players are special. Some athletes have that “it factor” no one else can replicate or easily explain. Troy Polamalu is that player for a lot of football fans, including a Notre Dame website editor who does not easily warm to USC Trojans.
Fighting Irish Wire editor Nick Shepkowski recently talked to us. We wanted to ask him about USC’s Caleb Williams and how he is fitting in as a new member of the Chicago Bears. In the process of answering our questions about Caleb, Shepkowski volunteered that Troy Polamalu is one of his top five football players of all time. How’s that for some USC respect from a Notre Dame football editor?
Troy Polamalu — as we wrote years ago — “revolutionized the safety position. He made the Pro Bowl eight times, was an All-Pro four times, and won a pair of Super Bowls in the Steel City.” He did so with signature flair and style, enough to impress Golden Domers along the way. He is one of one, and this little revelation from Fighting Irish Wire’s editor confirms it.
Let’s review the last 25 prospects who were selected at No. 16 overall in the draft.
The Seahawks currently hold the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. That might not be high enough to get them an elite quarterback prospect or a blue-chip defender. However, a lot of special players have been taken at that spot historically and if your team can’t manage to land a good pick there then you need a new general manager. Let’s review the last 25 prospects who were selected at No. 16 overall in the draft.
Along the way you will see a lot of great cornerbacks, a few legendary edge rushers, a couple excellent offensive linemen and one all-time great safety.
Troy Polamalu is a USC and NFL legend, great in both the college game and the pros. Pete Carroll helped develop Polamalu in college, creating a foundation for his future and providing a springboard for a career which would lead to induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Polamalu was electric during his time with the Trojans. He went on to be a first-round draft pick of the Steelers and a huge part of their talented defense year after year.
“In the NFL, he made his mark and revolutionized the safety position. He made the Pro Bowl eight times, was an All-Pro four times, and won a pair of Super Bowls in the Steel City.”
Polamalu shared his favorite Pete Carroll story. With Carroll being forced out of his position as the Seattle Seahawks’ head coach, we’re not sure where Pete’s next coaching stop will be. He doesn’t seem to want to retire from coaching; he wants more action. However, someone has to interview him and want to give him a job if his coaching career is to continue.
Troy Polamalu is the latest former Steelers player to throw his support behind Mike Tomlin.
Thanks to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier this week, rumors have been flying around about whether Mike Tomlin’s time with the Pittsburgh Steelers is coming to an end.
Schefter said he’s hearing from “people around the league” that Tomlin could step away from the team he’s coached for 17 seasons.
For Tomlin’s former player Troy Polamalu, it’s simple: He believes there’s nobody better to continue leading the Black and Gold.
“He’s a man of integrity that holds people accountable,” Polamalu told Steelers Wire. “And when you have such a high standard for yourself, you’re going to hold everybody else around you, aside from the fact that he’s a great communicator as well.”
Polamalu said he learned from Tomlin — beyond what he could from most others — what it is to be a good safety. “I learned so much just what a safety should look at, and just from a tactical perspective of what it took to be a good safety. So, he checks every box about what he knows about every position above and beyond what players could, and most coaches could.
“He, to me, is the most well-rounded coach, is a Hall of Fame coach, just like other Hall of Fame coaches that I played with, Pete Carroll [at USC] and Coach [Bill] Cowher.”
Troy Polamalu relives Super Bowl in Frito-Lay campaign
Troy Polamalu and all three of his former coaches have had the sought-after honor of playing in and winning Super Bowls. The Hall of Fame safety won one each under Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin.
In “Taste the Victory,” a new NFL playoff season campaign from Frito-Lay, Polamalu got the chance to relive the post-win excitement.
“It was cool to work with Rob [Gronkowski] and Marshawn [Lynch] to celebrate Super Bowls that we’ve won, and the nostalgic feeling that attached to that, especially with an iconic brand, Frito-Lay,” Polamalu said.
The ad, now live across social and digital platforms, will air on TV starting Saturday and run through Super 58 on Feb. 11.
This is what restored relevance looks like: Inviting Polamalu to meet recruits would not resonate as much if USC was a 7-win program.
The USC Trojans would love to keep an elite linebacker at home in Southern California.
St. John Bosco four-star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is a prime target for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. They don’t want him to go to Ohio State or Notre Dame, the other two schools the Trojans are battling in this recruitment.
Viliamu-Asa made his official visit to USC over the past weekend. Riley, knowing that USC football owns a restored brand and has regained a substantial amount of credibility over the past 18 months, called on a Trojan legend to meet with Viliamu-Asa.
You might recognize him.
Yep, that’s Troy Polamalu, one of USC’s all-time greatest players, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame two years ago, in 2021.
One point to emphasize about Polamalu being invited to help recruit USC targets: If USC was coming off a 7-5 or 8-4 season, calling on the big guns on big recruiting weekends might come off as desperation.
This is what winning 11 games does: It shows that USC is truly back. Everything about this simply feels right in a way that wouldn’t apply if the Trojans were still immersed in Clay Helton-level mediocrity.
Has Polamalu’s involvement made an impact? We don’t yet know if it’s enough to close the deal, but it does seem to have provided a small nudge in the right direction based on early reaction from recruiting analysts:
The four-star St. John Bosco linebacker was clearly impressed by #USC on his official visit.
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa made his official visit to the USC Trojan football program this weekend. It has been the source of a lot of buzz and speculation about his ultimate landing spot.
A four-star linebacker, Viliamu-Asa is from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower (Calif.). He is rated as the No. 6 linebacker prospect in the country and the No. 69 overall recruit by 247Sports.com.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound defender is down to three programs. Viliamu-Asa announced Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC as his finalists on Friday.
Following his USC visit, he has official visits with the Fighting Irish (June 16-18) and Buckeyes (June 23-25).
Viliamu-Asa has visited USC close to 10 times, Ohio State four times and Notre Dame twice. After taking his official visits, Viliamu-Asa plans to speak with his family about the schools and then commit sometime in the summer, probably July.
Viliamu-Asa commented on his relationship with the Trojan football program:
“I love what they are building, they have a great staff and the relationships are strong. Coach Lincoln Riley and coach Brian Odom and the staff have really gotten to know me and my family,” he said.
“USC has a lot of potential under coach Riley. He has a chance to take USC back to where it has been before. The staff is doing a great job as a unit and that is really appealing.”
Lincoln Riley recruited USC legend Troy Polamalu to be part of this official visit with Viliamu-Asa:
Washington has had some good luck at No. 16 overall.
Since the year 2000, the Washington Commanders picked at No. 16 overall on three occasions: 2011, 2022 and the upcoming 2023 NFL draft.
Looking back at the last 23 years, there have been some excellent players to go at No. 16, including a Pro Football Hall of Famer in 2003 [Troy Polamalu]. If you go back 38 years, arguably the greatest offensive player in history — Jerry Rice – went No. 16 to the San Francisco 49ers in 1985.
In 2011, Washington picked one of the greatest players in franchise history, Ryan Kerrigan. Last year, the Commanders selected Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson in a trade-down. Dotson looked like a future star in 2022.
There’s also another player on this list who was drafted by another team and ended up being one of the best offensive players in Washington’s franchise history. Do you remember who that player is? You’ll find out soon.
Here is a look at every player selected No. 16 overall in the NFL draft since 2000.
Andrew Harris could not believe it when he realized who was about to hand him the Polynesian Bowl MVP award.
After the Polynesian Bowl concluded with a 22-17 Team Mauka win, a handful of influential people in the game stood to present trophies to the MVPs of the game, linebacker Andrew Harris and quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
While Harris and Iamaleava are among the stars of the class of 2023, neither was the most notable person at the backdrop. And it took Harris a moment to realize that to the right of him was a man whose hair, now greying and pulled back into a ponytail and not quite as recognizable as it had been flowing under his helmet and in commercials, was one of the best and most popular NFL players in recent memory.
His reaction once realizing the NFL legend was standing near him was as wholesome as it gets.
Polamalu presented Harris with the Defensive MVP award. Harris was rather reserved during the interview with the Polynesian Bowl rep after receiving the trophy, but he got emotive when asked about who handed it to him.
“Oh my god, it’s a blessing, I never thought I’d meet him in person. Like, it’s crazy,” he said, with inflection in his voice that’s best heard over video instead of read off a page.
Harris recorded two sacks and had a pass breakup in the high school all-star game in Hawaii. He is an uncommitted four-star prospect who plans to announce his college decision on Feb. 1, according to 247Sports.
