Troy Polamalu

Troy Polamalu

Pittsburgh Steelers
Career information
College:	USC
NFL draft:	2003 / round: 1 / pick: 16
Career history
Pittsburgh Steelers (2003-present)
Career highlights and awards
1 Super Bowl ring 3 Pro Bowls: 2005, 2006, 2007
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Troy Aumua Polamalu (born Troy Benjamin Aumua on April 19, 1981 in Garden Grove, California) is an American football player who plays strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He is of Samoan descent. Despite Polamalu's hard-hitting style on the gridiron, he is known off-the-field as a soft-spoken, Christian family man, specifically a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

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Early years

Troy attended Douglas High School in Winston, Oregon, where he was a three-sport letterman in: baseball, basketball, and football. He played football for four years as a running back and defensive back. As a senior, he was an All-Far West selection in football, and an All-State center fielder in baseball; in basketball, he was a two-time all-league player.

College career

In his career as a 3-year starter at the University of Southern California, Polamalu recorded 278 tackles (29 for losses), 6 interceptions (3 returned for TDs), 13 deflections, 2 fumble recoveries and 4 blocked punts. He was also a roommate to current Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer.

NFL career

NFL Draft 2003

Polamalu was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers 16th overall in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. The Chargers, who had the 15th overall pick, had a major need at safety to replace the departed Rodney Harrison but instead chose to go with quantity over quality forgoing the opportunity to select Troy by trading down and getting Sammy Davis and Terrence Kiel. The Steelers, ecstatic that Polamalu slid past the Chargers, quickly made a move to bring Polamalu to their team. 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. The Steelers traded away the 92nd and 200th overall pick for the rights to switch first round picks and select Troy Polamalu. Essentially the trade was Polamalu for Larry Johnson, Julian Battle and Brooks Bollinger (Bollinger was subsequently traded to the Jets in the same draft). He has the distinction of being the only safety ever drafted by the Steelers in the first round.

In the last game of his college career against Iowa in the Orange bowl, Polamalu injured his hamstring in pre-game warm-ups and was not able to play in the game. Subsequently, the hamstring caused Polamalu to miss the Senior Bowl and 2003 NFL Combine as well. Polamalu was able to perform for scouts at his USC pro day.

Pre-draft measureables Wt 40y 20ss 3-cone Vert BP Wonderlic 206 lb 4.35s 4.06s 6.75s 43 1/2" 25 24* (* represents NFL Combine) Pittsburgh Steelers Polamalu (#43) is currently in his fourth season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is the first team starting strong safety. He is easily recognized when playing due to the large mane of curly hair flowing out of his helmet and past his shoulders. Polamalu is considered to be one of the more cerebral players in the NFL and is becoming the new face of the Steelers' defense. In the CBS Playoffs Pre-game Show, Polamalu said the last time he had gotten a haircut was when he was at USC in 2000 when a coach told him he needed one. Polamalu has not received a haircut since. In pre-colonial Samoan culture, it is customary for men to wear their hair long. The hair was the center of talk around a tackle on October 15, 2006. After an interception where Polamalu looked poised for a touchdown return, Chiefs RB Larry Johnson pulled him down by his hair in order to tackle him and then pulled him up by it. Commentators correctly pointed out that pulling hair is legal and doesn't constitute unnecessary-roughness; Johnson was, however, penalized for a late hit out of bounds. Polamalu's blend of speed, anticipation, and instinct makes him a standout player who seems to be involved in almost every defensive play. The Steelers often use Polamalu in different packages. He may blitz the quarterback, come on a delayed blitz, or pretend to blitz and drop back into coverage, confusing the quarterback. Polamalu often adds to the quarterback's confusion by turning around and walking away from the line of scrimmage before the snap. In only his 3rd season (2006), he tied the NFL record for most sacks, 3, in a single game by a safety. The 2007 Pro Bowl was his third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance; he started at safety for the AFC, playing next to the Baltimore Raven's starting free safety Ed Reed. The rivalry they share based on their teams divisional rivalry was evident, as the two battled for possession of an overthrown halfback pass from former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber; Reed came down with the interception. He also made the AP NFL All-Pro Second Team in 2005, followed by being named to the First Team in 2006. Polamalu became part of the 2005 controversy over the quality of NFL officiating during the divisional playoff game between the Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts. Polamalu intercepted a pass, rolled to the ground, then fumbled the ball while getting up. The play was initially ruled an interception and fumble, but after viewing the instant replay, referee Pete Morelli ruled the play an incomplete pass. His rationale was that Polamalu did not make a "football move" after intercepting the pass but before fumbling the ball, and therefore did not demonstrate possession of the ball. The NFL later released a statement saying that Morelli's interpretation was incorrect, and that the interception should have been upheld. His first Super Bowl appearance was in Super Bowl XL in 2006, when the Pittsburgh Steelers gained the franchise's fifth Super Bowl with a 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks. In week 12 of the 2006 NFL season at the Baltimore Ravens, Polamalu suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss the first two games of his professional career. The Steelers lost the game, 27-0. On July 23, 2007, before training camp, the Steelers gave Polamalu the biggest contract in team history extending him through 2011. In an article on ESPN.com, Polamalu says, "I didn't want to be a player who is jumping from team to team. I've always felt comfortable here, I think this organization, this tradition they have here, is very legendary and I always wanted to be part of this." The 4-year contract extension, worth just over $30 million with about $15 million in guarantees, makes Polamalu one of the highest paid defensive backs in the league and the highest paid safety in the league. Faith Polamalu is an Eastern Orthodox Christian, having converted through the influence of his wife Theodora, who is of Greek descent. Among his spiritual activities is a pilgrimage to Greek Orthodox sites in Greece and Turkey, taken in 2007. He seldom gives interviews, but when he does, he often speaks of the role his spirituality plays in his life. Polamalu has said that he tries to separate himself from his profession as much as possible, like not watching football games at home. He says a prayer after each play and also on the sidelines. Trivia In 2005, Pittsburgh area band Mr. Devious wrote and recorded the novelty song Puhlahmahlu, a parody of the song Mah Nà Mah Nà. Guitarist Glenn Shirey said that the song was inspired by a Fox Sports announcer's mispronunciation of Polamalu's name. Polamalu is featured on the cover of the Scholastic children's book National Football League Megastars which profiles Polamalu and 14 other NFL stars. Polamalu has garnered several nicknames; a couple being "The Tasmanian Devil" or "Taz" "The Flying Hawaiian," and "The Samoan Headhunter". Polamalu sat with Joe Hardy at the billionaire's 84th birthday party on January 6, 2007. [1] In January, 2007, he petitioned to change his legal name to his mother's maiden name (Polamalu), which he had been using for the last 15 years. His legal name had been Troy Aumua.[2] Polamalu is known for his humble lifestyle. He rarely hangs out with fellow teammates, instead preferring to spend time at home with his wife Theodora, the sister of St. Louis Rams tight end Alex Holmes, another former USC player.[3] Off-field interests include growing flowers and playing the piano.[4] Troy Polamalu is the highest rated player for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the game Madden 2007 with an overall rating of 98 out of 99. Was roommates in college with Pittsburgh Steelers rival team Bengals QB Carson Palmer. References