Pittsburgh Steelers' Troy Polamalu: Head and Shoulders Above the Rest
by Dan Bickley, columnist - Feb. 3, 2011 06:32 PM
The Arizona Republic
DALLAS -- Focus on his hair, and Troy Polamalu will play along. Ask him about his celebrity crush, and he will not.
It's an important distinction in the life of a true warrior.
"My celebrity crush is my wife, Theodora Polamalu," he tells a reporter from "Access Hollywood." "No wonder nobody can stay married in Hollywood with questions like that."
Polamalu is my favorite NFL player, and it's not even close. He's humble, thoughtful, soft-spoken, stripped of ego and capable of great damage on a football field. He's on a journey that transcends his profession. | 
Playing pick-up with a legend
"I want to represent something bigger than myself, whether it's on the football field or off," Polamalu said.
When the Steelers came to play the Cardinals in September 2007, Polamalu had a special request for his coaches. He was compelled to visit a man he calls his "spiritual father," the one who founded St. Anthony's monastery in Florence.
Services began at 3 a.m. Sunday and ended four hours later. The Steelers provided the driver, and with a nourished soul, Polamalu rushed back to the Valley for a 2:15 p.m. kickoff.
"He's a special player that you sometimes make exceptions to the rule for," Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton said. "At least we do."
Horton was asked what time Polamalu returned from his sleepless night at the monastery.
"We didn't ask," he said. "We didn't care, as long as he was here for the game."
That kind of trust is rare in the NFL, and yet it's an important part of his relationship with the Steelers. It's why defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau gives Polamalu the authority to freelance within the structure of his system.
Maybe you've seen the goal-line footage of Polamalu leaping over an offensive lineman and sacking the Titans' quarterback as soon as he received the snap. Here's how it unfolded:
Early in the week, Horton told Polamalu that in certain formations, Tennessee's tight end never goes out for a pass.
"Never?" Polamalu asked.
That was the extent of the conversation. At least until Polamalu reached the sideline after his flying tackle. Horton wanted to know what in the world made Polamalu take such a risk.
"You told me that No. 75 never goes out for a pass," Polamalu said.
Thus, aware that he wasn't going to get burned on a pass play, Polamalu seized the moment to freelance. And that's how it works in Pittsburgh.
Polamalu won't acknowledge the special treatment or his special role on the field. That would imply he's better than his teammates, and you'll never hear anything like that come out of his mouth. With a straight face, he said his uniform number is the only thing that makes him different.
When he was named Defensive Player of the Year, he immediately tweeted that the Packers' Clay Matthews, the Ravens' Ed Reed, the Bears' Julius Peppers and the Steelers' James Harrison are "way more deserving."
Then he followed up with this:
"Individual awards only have a place in golf and bowling. Too many parts to single out one player in the world's greatest TEAM sport."
If that weren't enough to admire the Steelers' star, try this:
While attending his niece's volleyball tournament in Maryvale, Polamalu was spotted by some young kids in the crowd. They rushed over for his autograph. He happily obliged, and offered a better idea.
He took the kids into the parking lot for an impromptu game of football.
"My son disappeared for like 30 minutes, and when I went outside, I couldn't believe what I saw," Phoenix resident Jeff Leiva said. "They were playing football on this narrow strip of pavement. Troy was diagramming plays for the kids. He was the designated quarterback."
That's incredible.
"He told us a bunch of plays in the huddle. He told me to run a fly route," his son, Camden, said. "And I caught it for a touchdown."
Polamalu remembers the incident but declined to elaborate. Some things are from the heart and not meant for media consumption.
"He's the epitome of a competitor," LeBeau said. "Mentally and physically, he has the demeanor of a true warrior. He was born to play professional football. He's one of the best I've ever seen."
And the only one who would argue with that assessment.
Reach Bickley at dan.bickley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8253. Read his online column at bickley.azcentral.com. Listen to "Bickley and MJ" weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on KGME-AM (910).
