PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – There is still a question whether Troy Polamalu will make the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremonies this weekend due to a positive COVID-19 test. Fitting the ceremonial end to his career is a question mark, much like the start of his career was.
“That rookie season to me is where I started to question my purpose,” Polamalu said. “Whether or not football was for me or not because my rookie season was not enjoyable, nor was it very successful.”
The 16th overall pick in 2003 played in 16 games, starting none of them finishing tenth on the team and sixth among defensive backs with 48 tackles. He had two sacks and a forced fumble.
Compare that to his senior year at USC. Playing through injuries, Polamalu finished with nine tackles for loss, three sacks, a pick and three forced fumbles and named first team All-American for a second straight season.
“Post rookie season I had a conversation with myself that was like ‘listen man you are either going to go all in on this or all out because if you are not all in, there may not be a career’,” Polamalu said.
It was a good talk. In his second year, Polamalu started every game, led the Steelers in tackles, interceptions and passed defended. He made the first of eight appearance on the Pro Bowl team.
“That rookie season was extremely humbling, humiliating, but also much needed in my life not only as a football player, but just as a person, as a husband, as a father,” Polamalu said. “I’m appreciative of that adversity.”
Now Polamalu honored among the Steelers greats in Canton.
“If I had not gone through the process of that molding of really being put through the furnace of adversity and doubt,” Polamalu said. “Really attacking that in a way that was calculated, methodical and not an in emotional way.”
“I got to go about this the right way and that paid off. It set in motion the rest of my career to say this is a template for me to work off of.”