Published: Friday, February 3, 2006
You'll notice Polamalu: hair, there, everywhere
The Steelers safety is like 'a cyclone' on the field but is soft spoken when he's off.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
DETROIT — Outside of Jerome Bettis' wide smile, the most recognizable Steeler has to be Troy Polamalu.
Specifically, his dark, curly hair.
"I let it grow throughout in college, and I think it's just become a part of me because it's like a fifth appendage," said the third-year safety from Southern California. "It doesn't give me an identity, [but] I think it gives the media an identity for me."
Watching the 5-foot-10, 212-pound Polamalu race around the field with his hair flapping out of his helmet gives the impression that his personality might be similar to this city's "Motor City Madman," guitarist Ted Nugent.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Polamalu, whose background is Samoan, often speaks to the press in a soft voice barely louder than a whisper.
But Polamalu's aggressive playing style rocks opponents.
'A cyclone'
"That guy is all over the place — he's a cyclone," Seahawks receiver Darrell Jackson said of his opponent in Sunday's Super Bowl XL. "He covers so much ground — you can tell that he does his film work and his study."
The Steelers link Polamalu to the Tasmanian Devil of Warner Bros. cartoons.
"I call him Little Tasmanian Devil," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said. "He never says anything, just gets up and just goes about his business.
"That's what's so scary about it — to play the way he plays but be so soft spoken about it. Those are the ones you've got to watch out for," Ward said.
Polamalu says it's not true.
"I don't think I have a split personality," Polamalu said. "I believe I am the same person now, the same person I am at home — just relaxed, passionate about everything I do whether it's reading the Bible or just hanging out with my wife.
"I live my life with passion whether it's at home or on the football field; there's no difference. I play football with a passion."
Tackle record
In the Steelers' 16 regular season games, Polamalu made 100 tackles. Only linebackers Larry Foote (123) and James Farrior (113) made more.
In the postseason, Polamalu has 19 stops, including seven in the Steelers' 21-18 upset of the Colts in Indianapolis in the AFC Divisional playoff game.
"[Defensive coordinator] Coach [Dick] LeBeau has done wonders to put Troy in position to go out and make plays," Ward said. "It seems like every week he's coming up with a big hit or interception or what not.
"Him being so young, he's going to continue to grow."
Polamalu said he's made solid progress since the Steelers used their first draft pick of the 2003 NFL Draft to select him.
"My rookie year was very, very humbling," said Polamalu of the Steelers' 6-10 season, when he made 29 tackles. "I think the majority of fans were disappointed as well."
In 2004, Polamalu was everywhere, making 97 tackles and five interceptions as the Steelers went 15-1.
"I don't view football as a violent, barbaric sport. To me, it's a very spiritual sport, especially for a man and the challenges a man faces within the game of football: the fear of failure, the fear of gaining too big an ego, of making a mistake and everybody criticizing you."
Samoan success
Polamalu says there is a reason that many Samoans reach the NFL.
"There's a lot of Samoans in professional football because it's closely related to a family atmosphere and the upbringing a lot of Samoans have.
"There's a respect factor that you are raised with and the passion that you are supplied with in your early life is the same passion that will make you successful in football."
Polamalu is part of his family's first generation born in the United States and said he didn't spend much time with his father growing up.
"I had 12 aunts and uncles — six on my mother's side of the family. All of them have five or more children.
"I didn't really grow up around my mother, either," Polamalu said. I was kind of raised by a community of people — not helter-skelter like, but I've been very blessed.
"Spiritually speaking, my father is in heaven and that is who I look to for my answers and that's why my faith is so strong and why my passion is strong."
Other players
Polamalu is by far the most visible of the Steelers' secondary. Chris Hope, a four-year veteran, took over as free safety in 2004.
Cornerback DeShea Townsend is the old man of the defensive backfield, an eight-year veteran who became a starter in 2003 when Dewayne Washington was pushed aside.
The other starting cornerback is Ike Taylor, a three-year player who became a starter this season and made 97 tackles.
Hope, who played for Bobby Bowden at Florida State, says the experience of playing in three straight national championship games is helping him keep things in perspective.
"I also played in the state championship game in high school, so I played in a big game on every level. So it's not that overwhelming to where I get lost or lose focus.
"But this is the biggest of them all," Hope said.
Hope says the Steelers need to remember what brought them to Detroit.
"We're very team-oriented, so while individuals make this team, they don't make the team win."
Hope credits the Steelers' blitzing success to "a lot of athletic linebackers — they're all big and fast and can run. They create opportunities of mismatches.
"The biggest thing is that you never know where the blitz is coming from."
Split personalities
Hope believes the Steelers have split personalities.
"We're class-act guys — yes sir, no sir guys ... but between the hashes we turn into different people.
"If you look at our team from top to bottom, everyone is pretty much like that. Hines Ward smiles all the time, but he's a very physical guy on the field.
"Troy is quiet, humble, not loud-spoken guy but on the field he's an animal."
Taylor dismisses criticism that the secondary is the Steelers defense's weak link.
"[The press] has to look for something. I don't know if they are going to talk about our defensive line. I know they are not going to talk about our linebackers. Who else can they point the finger at?
"But it's cool. People can say what they want to say — we still have to get the job done."
williams@vindy.com
Friday, February 3, 2006
The Steelers safety is like 'a cyclone' on the field but is soft spoken when he's off.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
DETROIT — Outside of Jerome Bettis' wide smile, the most recognizable Steeler has to be Troy Polamalu.
Specifically, his dark, curly hair.
"I let it grow throughout in college, and I think it's just become a part of me because it's like a fifth appendage," said the third-year safety from Southern California. "It doesn't give me an identity, [but] I think it gives the media an identity for me."
Watching the 5-foot-10, 212-pound Polamalu race around the field with his hair flapping out of his helmet gives the impression that his personality might be similar to this city's "Motor City Madman," guitarist Ted Nugent.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Polamalu, whose background is Samoan, often speaks to the press in a soft voice barely louder than a whisper.
But Polamalu's aggressive playing style rocks opponents.
'A cyclone'
"That guy is all over the place — he's a cyclone," Seahawks receiver Darrell Jackson said of his opponent in Sunday's Super Bowl XL. "He covers so much ground — you can tell that he does his film work and his study."
The Steelers link Polamalu to the Tasmanian Devil of Warner Bros. cartoons.
"I call him Little Tasmanian Devil," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said. "He never says anything, just gets up and just goes about his business.
"That's what's so scary about it — to play the way he plays but be so soft spoken about it. Those are the ones you've got to watch out for," Ward said.
Polamalu says it's not true.
"I don't think I have a split personality," Polamalu said. "I believe I am the same person now, the same person I am at home — just relaxed, passionate about everything I do whether it's reading the Bible or just hanging out with my wife.
"I live my life with passion whether it's at home or on the football field; there's no difference. I play football with a passion."
Tackle record
In the Steelers' 16 regular season games, Polamalu made 100 tackles. Only linebackers Larry Foote (123) and James Farrior (113) made more.
In the postseason, Polamalu has 19 stops, including seven in the Steelers' 21-18 upset of the Colts in Indianapolis in the AFC Divisional playoff game.
"[Defensive coordinator] Coach [Dick] LeBeau has done wonders to put Troy in position to go out and make plays," Ward said. "It seems like every week he's coming up with a big hit or interception or what not.
"Him being so young, he's going to continue to grow."
Polamalu said he's made solid progress since the Steelers used their first draft pick of the 2003 NFL Draft to select him.
"My rookie year was very, very humbling," said Polamalu of the Steelers' 6-10 season, when he made 29 tackles. "I think the majority of fans were disappointed as well."
In 2004, Polamalu was everywhere, making 97 tackles and five interceptions as the Steelers went 15-1.
"I don't view football as a violent, barbaric sport. To me, it's a very spiritual sport, especially for a man and the challenges a man faces within the game of football: the fear of failure, the fear of gaining too big an ego, of making a mistake and everybody criticizing you."
Samoan success
Polamalu says there is a reason that many Samoans reach the NFL.
"There's a lot of Samoans in professional football because it's closely related to a family atmosphere and the upbringing a lot of Samoans have.
"There's a respect factor that you are raised with and the passion that you are supplied with in your early life is the same passion that will make you successful in football."
Polamalu is part of his family's first generation born in the United States and said he didn't spend much time with his father growing up.
"I had 12 aunts and uncles — six on my mother's side of the family. All of them have five or more children.
"I didn't really grow up around my mother, either," Polamalu said. I was kind of raised by a community of people — not helter-skelter like, but I've been very blessed.
"Spiritually speaking, my father is in heaven and that is who I look to for my answers and that's why my faith is so strong and why my passion is strong."
Other players
Polamalu is by far the most visible of the Steelers' secondary. Chris Hope, a four-year veteran, took over as free safety in 2004.
Cornerback DeShea Townsend is the old man of the defensive backfield, an eight-year veteran who became a starter in 2003 when Dewayne Washington was pushed aside.
The other starting cornerback is Ike Taylor, a three-year player who became a starter this season and made 97 tackles.
Hope, who played for Bobby Bowden at Florida State, says the experience of playing in three straight national championship games is helping him keep things in perspective.
"I also played in the state championship game in high school, so I played in a big game on every level. So it's not that overwhelming to where I get lost or lose focus.
"But this is the biggest of them all," Hope said.
Hope says the Steelers need to remember what brought them to Detroit.
"We're very team-oriented, so while individuals make this team, they don't make the team win."
Hope credits the Steelers' blitzing success to "a lot of athletic linebackers — they're all big and fast and can run. They create opportunities of mismatches.
"The biggest thing is that you never know where the blitz is coming from."
Split personalities
Hope believes the Steelers have split personalities.
"We're class-act guys — yes sir, no sir guys ... but between the hashes we turn into different people.
"If you look at our team from top to bottom, everyone is pretty much like that. Hines Ward smiles all the time, but he's a very physical guy on the field.
"Troy is quiet, humble, not loud-spoken guy but on the field he's an animal."
Taylor dismisses criticism that the secondary is the Steelers defense's weak link.
"[The press] has to look for something. I don't know if they are going to talk about our defensive line. I know they are not going to talk about our linebackers. Who else can they point the finger at?
"But it's cool. People can say what they want to say — we still have to get the job done."
williams@vindy.com
Friday, February 3, 2006
Outside of Jerome Bettis' wide smile, the most recognizable Steeler has to be Troy Polamalu.
Specifically, his dark,...
