Tag: Troy Polamalu

Troy Polamalu talks about his Hall of Fame Steelers career, and the modern NFL safety

Hall of Fame defensive back Troy Polamalu discusses his great career, and modern NFL defense, with Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar.

Selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2003 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of USC, Troy Polamalu made the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a first-ballot entrant in 2020 after a 12-year career in which he totaled 583 solo tackles, 56 tackles for loss, 12.0 sacks, 14 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries for 120 yards and two touchdowns, 32 interceptions for 398 yards and three touchdowns, eight Pro Bowl nods, four First-Team All-Pro selections, three Super Bowl appearances, two rings (Super Bowls XL and XLIII), and his status as the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year, and membership in the Hall of Fame All-2000s Team.

Polamalu’s legacy extends to the modern game in interesting ways, which is par for the course for one of the most unique players in NFL history. In an era when most defensive coordinators had defined free and strong safeties, Polamalu was the forerunner of today’s do-it-all defender, patrolling at multiple positions for the Steelers. From the defensive line to the box to the slot to free safety to outside cornerback, there wasn’t a place on the field Polamalu couldn’t line up and have an immediate impact.

Doug Farrar: Troy, I wanted to start by asking you about the Head & Shoulders/Fiverr Never Not Working campaign. The never-not-working obviously fits into your play style, so tell me about that and what you’re doing.

Troy Polamalu: It’s also an interesting dynamic after being retired for about six years as well. I think any parent knows that when you have two busy children as well that you’re never not working. Head & Shoulders and I have teamed up with Fiverr, the world’s largest creative marketplace of digital services, and they do a lot of great things providing services online for people. I’m here actually on shoot, and we’re doing a lot of cool things, from tattoo to piano to all of the great services that Fiverr provides for everyone.

DF: You’ve been with Head & Shoulders for a long time. How are those Patrick Mahomes commercials? Those look like fun.

TP: It’s been a blast, man. It’s funny; I’ve almost had a career in making commercials with Head & Shoulders. Staring almost 15 years ago and being able to be shooting commercials with Patrick Mahomes, the future of  the NFL, has been a real blessing for me.

The Touchdown Wire NFL podcast with Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu

Troy Polamalu, former Steelers great and first-ballot Hall of Famer, talks all things football with Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar.

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar recently sat down with Troy Polamalu, former Steelers safety and 2020 first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, to discuss a number of topics:

  • Troy’s involvement in the #NeverNotWorking campaign with Head & Shoulders and Fiverr;
  • How his inimitable playing style worked for him;
  • What it meant to him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, especially on the first ballot, and with so many Steelers great also getting inducted;
  • How he recovered from COVID;
  • Why Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher, and Dick LeBeau have been pivotal influencers in Troy’s life and NFL career;
  • How he became the precursor to the modern “do-it-all” safety in an era when that wasn’t often done;
  • Why he took a break from football after his retirement, and what has brought him back to the game;
  • What he thinks of the safeties in the NFL today, and why he believes that they have to do more than ever before.

Listen to the podcast on BlogTalk Radio:

3 Steelers contract extensions that went down to the wire

T.J. Watt’s contract extension isn’t the first in recent Steelers history to come down to the wire.

T.J. Watt and the Steelers seem to be at a crossroads — Watt is without future stability in Pittsburgh. The defensive star is seeking a long-term contract, a pressing matter that has kept him from practicing with his team all offseason, but still finds himself without.

We’re less than a week away from Steelers versus Bills and a sudden sense of urgency is in the air. If the two parties don’t come to an agreement this week, we could be looking at a T.J. Watt holdout.

But Watt’s isn’t the first Steelers contract extension that has come down to the wire in recent history.

4 Steelers Troy Polamalu thanked in Hall of Fame speech

Legendary Steelers safety Troy Polamalu had plenty of people to thank during his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech.

A first-ballot Hall of Famer, former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Here are a few of the Steelers Polamalu mentioned during his moving and impassioned 11-minute speech.

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Troy Polamalu tests positive for COVID days before HOF induction

Troy Polamalu has tested positive for COVID-19 a week before his HOF induction

Legendary Pittsburgh Steeler DB Troy Polamalu is going to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, next week.

Now, there is a question of whether he will be able to attend the ceremonies.

Polamalu took to Twitter on Friday and announced he has tested positive for COVID-19.

Had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic postponing the Class of 2020 induction until this year, Polamalu would already be enshrined.

Polamalu played 12 seasons as a strong safety with the Steelers from 2003-2014.

The Class of 2020 will be inducted on Aug. 7 with the Class of 2021 following on Aug. 8.

“We are disappointed for Troy right now and pray for his quick recovery with no complications,” David Baker, President & CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said in a press release. “We’ll work with him to make sure he’s honored as an enshrinee the way he should be — and that’s mindful of others in the Centennial Class, fans and everyone else in attendance. He had an incredible football career and will have an equally incredible career as a Hall of Famer.”

Andrew Hawkins (jokingly?) calls Troy Polamalu a “bully” with video evidence

Former Cleveland Browns receiver Andrew Hawkins has quickly become a media star. Today he (jokingly?) calls former Pittsburgh Steelers great Troy Polamalu a “bully” and shows video evidence.

Former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins has become a media superstar in a very short amount of time since retiring from the NFL. Today, in what clearly is presented as a joke, he replied to a Pittsburgh Steelers tweet by calling former Steelers great Troy Polamalu a bully.

As shown in the video below, Hawkins played against Polamalu a lot in his career. Polamalu played for the Steelers his entire career while Hawkins played with Cleveland after three years in Cincinnati.

Polamalu was a hard-hitting safety who also had the range to make plays in the passing game at times as well. He and Ed Reed helped define the position throughout much of the early 2000s.

Unfortunately for Hawkins, that included a few vicious hits on the diminutive receiver which he put up along with the word “bully” in all capital letters when the Steelers asked for one word to describe Polamalu:

 

 

Hawkins’s foray into media includes his time with Joe Thomas on the ThomaHawk Show as well as a number of humorous videos. One of which came out shortly after The Last Dance started airing where Hawkins mimicked some of the players from the show:

While his time with the Browns was brief, just three seasons, Hawkins will always be beloved by the fans. Today’s video response is just another reason why.

Troy Polamalu reveals his NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame presenter

LeBeau spent 13 seasons coaching up Polamalu. Now he’ll present him for enshrinement.

If you were on social media Tuesday evening, you may have seen Troy Polamalu’s post hinting at who he’s asked to present him for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

From the moment it was announced he’d be inducted, everyone speculated about who would be the one to induct Polamalu. And, of course, most people predicted correctly that it would be his former defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

LeBeau came to Pittsburgh in 2004 after a year off from coaching the Cincinnati Bengals. From Polamalu’s second season to his last, LeBeau had the privilege to coach one of the best to ever don a Steelers uniform. And Polamalu had the privilege to be coached by one of the best coordinators in the game.

So, it only makes sense that Polamalu chose LeBeau for this momentous occasion.

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How former Steelers S Ryan Clark got punked by Aaron Rodgers in 2010 Super Bowl

Clark and Rodgers recall Super Bowl XLV touchdown to Greg Jennings a little differently.

You probably know this, but former Colts kicker Pat McAfee has a wildly entertaining show, aptly titled The Pat McAfee Show.

On Wednesday, McAfee was joined by former Steelers safety Ryan Clark, and later by Green Bay Packers quarterback. McAfee, being McAfee, asked both of them to recall the Greg Jennings touchdown from the 2010 Super Bowl.

Of course, their versions are as McAfee put it, “slightly different.”

“Two weeks. You’re going to the Super Bowl, you get two weeks [to prepare],” said Clark. “I planned this interception.”

“I had told my kids we were going to Disney World because I was going to pick this ball off, and I was going to score a touchdown,” he said. “I was going to be the MVP — they never wanted to give it to Ben [Roethlisberger] anyway.”

“I see the play… I lock Ike [Taylor]. I know Aaron is never going to look at me. I was like, This is it. Boom, play starts. I take off. I look, He’s going to throw this mickey fickey. It’s a wrap.”

“He throws it. I know he didn’t see me. He throws it this far over my finger. I dive for it, miss it. Right in front of Troy [Polamalu]. Touchdown.”

The ball grazed Clark’s fingertips on its way to Jennings, ready near the goal line. The 2nd quarter 21-yard touchdown put the Packers ahead by 18 points.

“Next series, we’re doing kind of well,” said Clark. “They call a time out… Rodgers goes, ‘Hey 2-5’ and tsssst (indicating with fingers how close Clark was to a pick). I was so mad.”

Screenshot courtesy of NFL YouTube channel (click on image to watch full game of Steelers-Packers 2010 Super Bowl)

Rodgers tells the story from his perspective in a much more tranquil tone — which, when you’re MVP of said Super Bowl, you can do — then suggests with a grin that Clark ‘Let it go.’

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Troy Polamalu shares heartfelt letter of love to Steelers, city of Pittsburgh

The legendary Hall of Fame safety penned an emotional letter to his former team and former city.

On the heels of Friday’s announcement that the Pittsburgh Steelers would be inducting him into its Hall of Honor, legendary safety Troy Polamalu took what was in his heart and put into words a letter to the Steelers and his beloved “home” of Pittsburgh.

With the title “A Pittsburgh Steeler,” Troy’s first sentence of the beautiful ode begins, “People find it hard to believe that the first NFL game I actually watched, was the first NFL game I played in.”

Troy has us in tears with his first sentence.

https://www.facebook.com/troy43/posts/10161643112843647

Polamalu wrote about how the Steelers weren’t his teammates but “truly brothers,” and mentioned several of them in particular with accompanying anecdotes. Ryan Clark, Cam Heyward, Joey Porter and Mike Logan. His first encounter with roommate Ike Taylor. Hines Ward flashing his “classic grin” after Troy attempted to make a play on him in practice. Having a locker next to Jerome Bettis.

It goes without saying — but I will — that he did not forget the unforgettable Joe Greene, a player that Troy later writes was one he “struggled to emulate” during his career in Pittsburgh.

“Joe Greene is without a doubt the greatest player in NFL history,” Troy wrote. “As the saying goes, the best player, on the best team, is the MVP. Joe Greene is the best player from the most successful organization in NFL history.”

AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

And, of course, Bill Cowher and the lesson that he taught to “embrace misery,” especially that of which is the unbearable climate of Pittsburgh summers and winters.

Troy even manages to drop “The standard is the standard” in reference to his last and former coach Mike Tomlin.

“Now, I’m blessed to be in the Hall of Honor, confirmation that enduring the struggles to emulate players before me is worthwhile. Thank yinz.”

Pittsburgh is… “my home”

In what I’m sure was a most memorable interview for Mark Kaboly, Polamalu recently said to “The Athletic” about his former city, “I lived in Pittsburgh longer than I lived anywhere else in my life. Pittsburgh is, without a doubt, my home…”

“To be honest, I have only been living here in California for a little less than two years. I was in Pittsburgh the entire time,” Troy added. “Just to be able to see fans on an everyday basis taking my kids to school in Wexford and Shady Side Academy. I was really trying to live life as a Yinzer.”

Troy’s words are such a heart-warming public gesture from a customarily quiet, unassuming man. That and the person that Troy Polamalu is are what makes this letter so exceptionally special.

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