[79] He was sidelined the next two games by the ankle injury. [76], In the Steelers' season-opener against the Atlanta Falcons, Polamalu recorded five combined tackles, defended a pass, and Clark Haggans called the groin injury that’ll keep him out of action for at least a month “a blessing in disguise.” The Steelers’ left outside linebacker suffered the injury late in the game against the Patriots and underwent surgery during the bye week. Troy Polamalu Not Surprised By Big Ben’s Comeback, Sees Team ‘In Great Position’ For Success In 2020 By Matthew Marczi Posted on October 7, 2020 at 10:07 am * Sure, the Steelers played without Ben Roethlisberger, but the bigger factor may have been the absence of left tackle Marvel Smith. ", "The 'Moana' Voice Cast Is Quite The Impressive Mix", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Troy_Polamalu&oldid=984240499, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 19 October 2020, at 01:03. "And last year was really his first year starting. On March 12, 2003, Jackson signed with the Arizona Cardinals after they added $2 million to their offer and increased his salary by $2.3 million in the first three-years. * The Steelers like to blitz in front of a three-deep zone. [12] On March 12, 2003, Polamalu participated at USC's pro day, along with Carson Palmer, Justin Fargas, Kareem Kelly, Sultan McCullough, Malaefou MacKenzie, and others. It hinders communication. However, Antonio Gates was just a basketball player, not a football player, at Kent State. [148] [149], "Polamalu" redirects here. It’s going to be a difficult game for the home team, in this case the reeling Steelers. On November 9, 2010, while appearing on Mike and Mike in the Morning, Polamalu said he had his most recent haircut seven or eight years prior. At that point in time, it was like, all this work you put in in the summer, it can all be given away in one week. Troy Polamalu (USC, 5-10, 206) According to both the BLESTO and National scouting combines, Polamalu is the top senior safety prospect in the 2003 draft. [68] He sustained a sprained MCL injury to his left knee and missed the next four games (Weeks 2–5). That’s almost 10 yards further than his deep throws in the second half of last season. We will look at the Pittsburgh Steelers draft today. The Steelers believed so much that Polamalu could have a positive impact on their defense that they traded up from the 27th spot to the 16th spot, originally held by the Chiefs. “I just smiled,” he said. He is among the five children born to Suila Polamalu and her former husband. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Dick LeBeau mixed it up beautifully. On April 1, 2013, it was reported that he had decided not to sign a new contract to endorse Head & Shoulders and instead signed a five-year contract with Suave to endorse their "Acrion Series". He received an offer from the Tennessee Titans to join his former longtime defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, but ultimately decided on retiring after weighing his options. In an October 15, 2006, game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs' running back Larry Johnson pulled Polamalu down by the hair in order to tackle him. [9] Throughout the next four games, Polamalu continued to have the most tackles in each game. While there he played high school football. Polamalu finished the 2010 season with 63 combined tackles (42 solo), 11 pass deflections, seven interceptions, one sack, and one touchdown in 14 games and 14 starts. * Troy Polamalu never could get his blitz game rolling against the Pats, but he nearly made the best coverage play of the game. Even when the Bengals were awful and the Steelers were not – 1996 and 1995 – the teams split. [130], During the 2011 NFL lockout, Polamalu utilized his time away from the field to return to the University of Southern California to complete his college education. * Ben Roethlisberger had a perfect passer rating of 158.3, the first in the NFL since Trent Green in 2003. An MRI performed Tuesday morning on Ben Roethlisberger revealed no ligament damage after the quarterback took a ferocious hit on his planted left leg from San Diego lineman Luis Castillo. So did Troy Polamalu in his war with Gates. To that point, he was 8 for 13 with four of the incompletions forced directly by the pass rush. Along with the young corners, safeties Chris Hope and Mike Logan made big plays. And the crowd was howling because that time had come. [122], On January 2, 2020, Polamalu was named one of 15 modern-era finalists for election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Coach Bill Cowher was asked if Parker would remain the starter. He always knows what he’s supposed to do, but he could be lined up anywhere and come from anywhere or drop from anywhere.". Inactive since injuring his calf in the preseason, Bettis carried 17 times for 54 yards and a 1-yard touchdown run in the first half. Polamalu won USC's MVP award and was voted a first-team All-American by Football Writers and College and Pro Football News Weekly. “I think maybe the reason why we haven’t been successful is because we haven’t been doing that. You never know what he’s going to do. [54], Polamalu suffered a hamstring injury during his off-season workout and missed the entire 2008 training camp. [69] Polamalu returned in Week 6 and recorded four combined tackles, defended a pass, and made an interception during a 27–14 victory over the Cleveland Browns. [94][95] He was ranked #19th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012. On July 23, 2007, the Steelers signed Polamalu to a four-year contract extension worth $30.19 million with $15.37 million guaranteed. [6], For his last season, Polamalu continued to uphold his big play reputation. [98][99] On October 7, 2012, Polamalu returned and recorded two solo tackles in a 16–14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. He won the award over Defensive Back of the Year by Aqib Talib of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played his last college game in the Orange Bowl against #3 Iowa. But he instead turned back and blitzed through an opening for a sack. He rushed for 1,040 yards with 22 touchdowns and had 310 receiving yards. Troy Aumua Polamalu (/ˌpoʊləˈmɑːluː/; born Troy Aumua; April 19, 1981) is a former American football strong safety who played his entire twelve-year career for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Arenda Capital makes investments into real estate properties and shares the earnings among all of the partners within the office. The Associated Press voted him second-team All-American. Tommy Maddox had an opportunity to tune his game up last Sunday against Cleveland. “It was very hard to go out there on the field with peace of mind, knowing that you were so close. [6], The 2000 season marked the beginning of Polamalu's career. [100] He limped off the field in the second quarter and was unable to return. [52], Polamalu was named a reserve to the 2008 Pro Bowl despite having no interceptions and only playing in 11 games during the 2007 season. [15], The San Diego Chargers, who had the 15th overall pick, had a major need at safety to replace Rodney Harrison but passed on the opportunity to select Polamalu by trading down and getting Sammy Davis and Terrence Kiel. “I don’t want to talk about it,” Polamalu said after the game. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Expect 1 to 2 posts per day four to five days a week all the way through the draft. His carrying has improved and his vision has as well. He has been a workhorse and is coming off his best season ever. He was intercepted, but the play was nullified by a Cleveland penalty. * Taylor is also sensational against the run, and rookie Bryant McFadden showed the same capabilities when he entered the game. Troy Polamalu reached high to take the game away from his former roommate, but this time he came down empty-handed, and so did the Steelers in a 38-31 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Make sure to look back through Parts 1-5 to prep for the championship at the end of the 2005 season. “I mean, I should ask y’all the question now.”. It set up Willie Parker’s touchdown run. From there, it’s a 43-yard field goal into the wind. [8] The next game, he again recorded five tackles and also sacked Oregon State's quarterback. In keeping his angle on Marvin Harrison, the Steelers’ strong safety rolled his hips without missing a step. Polamalu was born in Garden Grove, California. Bill Cowher said James Harrison will replace Haggans and make his fifth career start (four last season) Monday night in San Diego. [117] The Steelers made the playoffs and faced off against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round. “I might get tired, a little fatigued, but I ain’t rusty.”. Follow full coverage of Troy Polamalu during the 2003 NFL Draft on ESPN.com.