Print this page

9. Troy Polamalu

  •  
This page generously sponsored by: Nobody yet! Sponsor it on Patreon to be the first name on this list!
9. Troy Polamalu

In terms of recent popularity, it is hard to come up with a player who exceeds Troy Polamalu.

The star from USC was a First Rounder in 2003, and after a rookie year as a backup, he would become Pittsburgh's starting Strong Safety from 2004 until his retirement in 2014.  In his sophomore season, Polamalu was named to the Pro Bowl, and would be again the next four years.  In that half-decade run of Pro Bowls, Polamalu was a First Team All-Pro twice and helped the Steelers win their fifth and sixth Super Bowl.

The former Trojan was hurt for most of 2009, and he rebounded in 2010 with another First Team All-Pro and the Defensive Player of the Year Award.  This season, the Safety had seven Interceptions and a career-high 19 in Approximate Value.  Polamalu would be a First Team All-Pro one more time, and played until 2014, finishing his career with 32 Interceptions and 782 Tackles.   

Polamalu would be selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, which was his first year of eligibility.  That same year, Polamalu entered the Steelers Hall of Honor.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Strong Safety
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 16th Overall in the NFL Draft 4/26/03.
  • Departed:

    Retired 4/10/15.
  • Games Played: 158
  • Notable Statistics:

    142 Games Started
    32 Interceptions
    398 Interception Return Yards
    3 Interception Return Touchdowns
    14 Forced Fumbles
    7 Fumble Recoveries
    120 Fumble Recovery Yards
    2 Fumble Recovery Touchdowns
    12.0 Quarterback Sacks
    783 Combined Tackles
    583 Solo Tackles
    200 Assisted Tackles
    56 Tackles for Loss
    12 Quarterback Hits*
    117 Approximate Value

    15 Playoff Games
    3 Interceptions
    58 Interception Return Yards
    1 Interception Return Touchdown
    0.5 Quarterback Sacks
    64 Combined Tackles
    40 Solo Tackles
    24 Assisted Tackles
    4 Tackles for Loss
    1 Quarterback Hit*

    *Quarterback Hits became a statistic in 2006.
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Super Bowl Champion (XL & XLIII)
    AP Defensive Player of the Year (2010)
    First Team All-Pro (2005, 2008, 2010 & 2011)
    Second Team All-Pro (2004 & 2007)
    Pro Bowl (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 & 2013)
Last modified on Wednesday, 21 September 2022 21:15
Tagged under

Comments powered by CComment