Good article on Troy Polamalu

[StillerPaul]

Polamalu viewed as more than just a safety

Pop on video of a Pittsburgh Steelers game from their championship run last season, and safety Troy Polamalu is hard to miss.

And it is not just the long, free-flowing locks of hair protruding from his helmet. It's that he is liable to be making plays, well, just about anywhere.

You might see him deep in the secondary, undercutting a route and making an interception.

On his next play, he might jar the ball loose from a receiver crossing the middle of the field.

Then he might creep up to the line of scrimmage, either to provide run support or to blitz the quarterback.

Where in the world is Polamalu? Every time an offense has to ask that question, consider it advantage, Steelers. Last season, the Steelers came out ahead often on their Super Bowl sprint — and Polamalu was in the middle of it all.

"He has an unusual blend of strength and speed," Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau says. "He is fast enough to play at the line of scrimmage, strong enough to be a very effective blitzer and has the agility to pass defend all over the field. That's a rare combination ... a person who can do all of those things."

He could be a winner of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award: Chicago linebacker Brian Urlacher was the winner in 2005, and Polamalu was third. If he wins, he would join Baltimore's Ed Reed as the only safeties to win the award since 1984.

"I would just say I'm a football player (rather than just a safety) because I'll line up at any position that the coaches line me up," Polamalu says. "I realize that other people have more defined and restricted roles, so I'm very grateful to be in these positions. I'm sure every safety would like to be in this role that the coaches have put me in."

To be sure, Polamalu sometimes misses out on the action because he is trying to sack the quarterback and takes a few extra knocks when he plays close to the line of scrimmage. All of which means he must be better prepared than just about every other player on the field.

Polamalu's preparation, however, provides insight into his character. Missing from both his voice and his on-field persona are the hits and reckless abandon that tiptoe on the line of losing control. Gone is the fire-breathing belief that every game is life or death, a philosophy that might put him at odds with a good portion of coaches around the league.

"You don't separate football from who you are," Polamalu says. "Once you leave the football field, it's not that you're any different. To me, you're still the same person. If you're a madman on the field, you should be one off of it, too. If you're not, then somewhere you're not being authentic."

That's not to say Polamalu won't pop a ballcarrier coming across the middle or will ease up on a quarterback. He will, however, probably help the offensive player up after the tackle. And it also is not to suggest that Polamalu is not physically prepared; indeed, he remains one of his team's fastest and, for his size, strongest players.

For Polamalu, preparing mentally also is vital, which is why his daily conditioning routine includes not just strength work but meditation and prayer. That aspect of the game is, he says, "Just as important a part as physically to doing a task. It may not help me on the field, but it makes me a better human being, a better husband and a better friend. And for me, it's not just about the football."

The football side of his game will be a little different this season — and not just because the Steelers are the defending Super Bowl champions. Polamalu's safety partner for each of his three seasons, Chris Hope, signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent, a move that was not easy for Polamalu to take in stride.

"It was pretty devastating when I heard that (Hope) left," he says. "You spend so much time in a relationship, and just like that it's gone. We were scout-team safeties together; we were starting out together; we were Super Bowl safeties together. We did a lot in three years that a lot of safeties would not do in a lifetime. I doubt anybody will replace what we had.

"But there will be different relationships. In time, maybe they will be better and maybe they will be more successful. ... Relationships don't stop at the facility, and that's part of what makes our team successful. It's not a 'business' relationship."

Steelers coaches will spend time this summer choosing between seven-year veteran Tyrone Carter and free agent addition Ryan Clark to replace Hope. They'll also be trying to find ways to motivate a team coming off a title. And that means Polamalu might have more plays to learn, more responsibilities to add.

"A player like Troy just opens up every avenue of imagination. It's a coach's dream," LeBeau says. "Offenses look at him as a defensive back. But if you want to make him a blitzing linebacker, he can take that role and deliver at it. They have to respect him when he is up around the line of scrimmage. That gives us coaches all kinds of avenues to go down. It's a lot of fun."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2006-06-14-elite-db_x.htm

[PatsFanTX]

Troy Polamalu = Overrated.

Hey Stiller, how many times has Polamalu fallen for Brady's look-aways?

Just busting your chops.

I really like Polamalu as a player.

[StillerPaul]

Troy Polamalu = Overrated.

Hey Stiller, how many times has Polamalu fallen for Brady's look-aways?

Just busting your chops.

I really like Polamalu as a player.

Happy fathers day ya ball buster. lol

Figured since it was a slow day here, i could slip a Steeler article in to start my secret takeoverjetnation campaign.

[Sperm Edwards]

Happy fathers day ya ball buster. lol

Figured since it was a slow day here, i could slip a Steeler article in to start my secret takeoverjetnation campaign.

We understand your sympathy for news here, but never do this again. You have been warned.

[StillerPaul]

We understand your sympathy for news here, but never do this again. You have been warned.

Whats it like in the JN penalty box, anyways?