On January 3, 2015, Troy Polamalu walked off Heinz Field for the final time as a player. The eight-time Pro Bowler and soon-to-be Hall of Fame safety has not been to Heinz Field for a Steelers game in the years since his last with the team. He did however return for one last game with his former team, the Oakland Raiders, in 2016. Polamalu ended his career with 192 tackles, 12 interceptions and two touchdowns.
Polamalu's departure left a huge hole for the Steelers on defense. They were able to fill that hole by signing free agent Mike Mitchell. The Steelers also drafted Devin Bush Jr. in the first round (18th overall) and Jaylen Waddle in the fourth round (120th overall) to help replace some of the lost production.
Heinz Field released a statement regarding Polamalu's retirement: "We're going to miss him around here. He was a great player for us and a true Steeler for twelve seasons."
Polamalu signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates after leaving the Raiders. He played three games for the Pirates before being placed on injured reserve due to injury. His three games with the Pirates totaled only four tackles. On April 2, 2015, it was reported that Polamalu had decided to retire at the end of the 2014 season.
He had a game-high 11 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and a blocked punt that USC recovered against Oregon State. His run came to an end against California, when he had four tackles but made the game-winning interception, which he returned for a 58-yard touchdown.
Troy attended Douglas High School, although there were whispers throughout his tenure that he would "transfer" to Roseburg, the area's main school. Can you believe that in the 1990s, people were concerned about high school players transferring from one program to another only for athletic reasons?
Troy Polamalu, the finest safety of his generation, spent his entire 12-year professional football career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Polamalu was picked in the first round, 16th overall, of the 2003 National Football League Draft. He was a two-time All-American at the University of Southern California.
Polamalu has eight Pro Bowl appearances and six All-Pro selections. He was also the Alliance of American Football's Head of Player Relations. In his first year of eligibility, Polamalu was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. Polamalu was born in the California town of Garden Grove.
He had a game-high 11 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and a blocked punt that USC recovered against Oregon State. His run came to an end against California, when he had four tackles but made the game-winning interception, which he returned for a 58-yard touchdown.
Polamalu was born in the California town of Garden Grove. At the age of eight, he spent three weeks on vacation with an aunt and uncle in Tenmile, Oregon, and begged his mother to let him remain there. In Winston, Oregon, he graduated from Douglas High School. He played high school football there.
Aumua, Troy Polamalu (/, poUl@'ma: lu:/; born Troy Aumua; April 19, 1981) is a former American football strong safety who spent his entire twelve-year career with the National Football League's Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL). In his first year of eligibility, Polamalu was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
He played college football for the Utah Utes, where he was an All-American and team co-captain. After graduating from Utah, Polamalu entered the 2001 NFL Draft, but was not selected by any team. He chose to remain in school for his final season, leading the team in tackles. The following year, he started all 16 games for the Steelers and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. During his time with the Steelers, Polamalu won two Super Bowls and was named the game's MVP twice. He signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent after the 2013 season and was part of their championship team that year. He returned to Pittsburgh in 2014 and ended his career there after nine seasons.
On February 5, 2020, Polamalu was introduced as a 2020 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Before we look at some of the facts about Polamalu's life we should mention that he has been involved in several incidents during his career which have drawn criticism from fans and media alike.
Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers cropped his hair for the first time in 12 years to help the Veterans of Foreign Wars. On Veterans Day, the ceremonial haircut took place at the VFW Mane Event at Heinz Field. Polamalu's wife, Amy, posted a photo of her husband with long hair on Instagram.
She wrote, "Happy Veterans Day! We honor all those who have served by cutting Troy's hair length-evershyning. #VetsDay" The couple has two children, a son and a daughter.
Polamalu began his NFL career as a rookie with the Oakland Raiders in 2004 and spent nine seasons with them. He was drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2007 NFL Draft. As one of the best safeties in football, Polamalu won three Super Bowl titles with the Steelers (x2) and was named the MVP of both games.
After nine seasons with the Steelers, Polamalu decided to join the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016. However, he was released after one season and returned to the Steelers the next year. In 2019, he will be entering his 10th season with the team.
During his career, Polamalu has been selected for the Pro Bowl every year except 2008 when he missed the game due to injury.
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