There Will Never Be Another Troy Polamalu

by Blitzburgh on Jan 2, 2009 3:03 AM EST Comment 22 comments

Sheesh, thinking about Troy Polamalu's impact on this defense when he's healthy makes me wonder if he's not the most valuable player to our defense's success. Regardless, without going there, I can still confidently say this about Troy: we as Steelers fans will never see anything quite like him ever again at the safety position.

Yes there will other greats in the years to come. Some might even have more consistent and/or longer careers. But nobody and I truly mean nobody finds ways to make the unimaginably spectacular happen so often.

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Clearly a rare player

You watch this guy play and the things he does and you wonder how could anyone in the draft pass him up?

I dont think we will ever see a player with his type of big play ability ever again. Hes a unique specialty out there.

by Mechem on Jan 2, 2009 9:22 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Remember when that first INT happened and the buzz was “Have you ever seen a catch or interception that great?” The answer a few games later was emphatically yes, as he topped it himself.

Having troy on our team means we get to watch on of the most unique players in the league – he’s a treat to watch. I think he would have thrived on any team, but he found his niche in the steelers and it shows.

by steelguy99 on Jan 2, 2009 9:33 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Supernatural

In order to make it into the NFL, a player must display somewhat freakish levels of physical ability. Troy is a freak among the freaks.

LeBeau has been quoted as saying that he can’t write plays for Troy because he still doesn’t know everything the kid is capable of. As a fan, I miss many of the great plays made by Deebo, Farrior, Smith, and others because my eyes are glued on the backfield scanning for that blur of black that indicates the flowing locks are in motion. He bats down 40 yard passes by crossing more than half the width of the field. He makes tackles behind the LoS, he hits like a freight train, and he rarely misses an open field tackle. As shown in that video, he has some scientifically baffling sense about where the ball is going to be thrown. He is a pigskin-guided missile.

I could spend hours watching Troy and never miss our offense.

by Varmint on Jan 2, 2009 10:24 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

A Choice!

You first call him rare then you call him unique. If I had to choose. I’d choose rare, it holds the possibility of us drafting another in the distant future.

by Marvin, The Paranoid Android on Jan 2, 2009 11:09 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

He can be both!

He is rare in that a player of his caliber rarely comes around and is nearly impossible to find, let alone secure.

He is unique in that his playing style is vastly different from just about anybody I’ve ever seen at the position. Even excellent safeties like John Lynch do not play with the same voracity that Polamalu does.

So he is rare, and in some ways unique. All around awesome

by Mechem on Jan 2, 2009 12:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Troy Is Why

the Steelers MUST trade some of their extra picks and move up in the first round to grab some OL talent. He is proof our brain trust can identify special athletes.
The OL MUST be upgraded if the Steelers are to keep the window open for Championships over the next couple years. The OL also MUSt be upgraded if we are to keep our franchise QB from having to retire because of head trauma. I fear the present OL talent (or lack there of) may be our downfall in the playoffs unless some really step up and overachieve.

When You Run The Ball Good Things Happen

by 5020 on Jan 2, 2009 11:49 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Hopefully the talent is there

But I think we missed our shot last year. The OT class for the 08 draft was very deep. And none of our picks have panned out. Mendenhall was a (apparently fragile) luxury we didn’t need. Sweed looks like Troy Edwards, and our OL looks like garbage. We could have easily traded up for Otah or Albert and chose not to. Big mistake.

Does anyone have any idea about the 09 class and its OL depth? From what I’ve seen, there are 8 projected 1st rounders (5 T, 2 C, 1 G) and the 2 top tackles are supposed to go in the top 5. If we pick 32nd, we’d have to give up our top 3 choices to get into the second third of the draft. I don’t think Colbert would do that.

Also, the #1 C prospect, Alex Mack, is supposedly the best center to come out in a long time. Anyone know if Hartwig can play G? I’m thinking no.

by JHolmes on Jan 2, 2009 2:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sigh

I can’t stand when people make sweeping generalizations.

“We could have easily traded up for Otah or Albert and chose not to.” Is that right? You know that for sure? What is your basis for saying this? How do you know they could have done this “easily”? What exactly is your definition of easily? How do you know they didn’t try?

“Mendenhall was a (apparently fragile) luxury we didn’t need.” Did you know that Troy P. was injured for a good part of his rookie year, and did almost nothing for the Steelers that year? And people were saying last year Timmons was a bust of a draft pick. Were you one of the people saying that too?

“Sweed looks like Troy Edwards” Have any idea what Troy Edwards did his rookie year? He had a huge year. I don’t remember the exact statistics, but if I remember correctly he had something like 60 recepptions for 700 or 800 yards. People were thrilled with him. Calling him the next great Steeler receiver. Now you are writing off Limas Sweed because he had a rough first year. Ridiculous.

by worldtrip on Jan 2, 2009 3:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah thats bogus

Seriously how often do steeler rookies make enormous impact?

I mean really when you get right down to it, not often. Kendrell Bell is one of the last rookies I can think of that had a great rookie year and look where he ended up. 28 and unemployed.

Worldtrip lists a nice chunk of rook’s that did their damage later on.

Even Santonios rookie year was full of blunders and bamboozles and now hes making bigger plays. Still has some kinks to iron out but hes a solid #2.

by Mechem on Jan 2, 2009 4:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Except for BB, but I was thinking other skill positions

by Mechem on Jan 2, 2009 4:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The guy has got moves

Watching him return that interception, I was thinking how cool it would be to see Troy returning punts. Probably not a good idea given the injury risk, but man, he faked out four guys there. Of course, they were offensive players…

by Steelin on Jan 2, 2009 1:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Too fast for his own feet

Troy moves as though physics don’t apply to his body. Sometimes I think he’s right. But I’ve seen enough plays where he causes himself to fall or make some other mistake because a body cannot do the things his mind dreams up.

A couple examples: in that return where he ducks under the offensive player, he appears to trip on his own feet. (Looks like he stubbed a toe to me.) He had an INT a few years back where he landed on the ground and rolled over before coming back up to his feet. In the process, his knee knocks the ball out of his hands and the refs call it an incomplete pass. (I believe they later retracted that call.)

Anyway, he runs like he is in a panic. I dunno if it’s a lack of coaching or some other issue, but he needs to work on ball security, using blockers, and reading angles. Probably too much to ask of a player that does so many other things!

by Varmint on Jan 2, 2009 1:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He plays defense for a reason

Because he excels at hitting people. Running with the ball is an extremely small facet of his job description.

by JHolmes on Jan 2, 2009 2:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

His running

I love watching him run. Its like watching a crack addict running from the Po-lice. Hilarious and amusing. And often produces results.

Yes he probably does try to bend physics a little too much but honestly is there anything more insane than when he has the ball?

by Mechem on Jan 2, 2009 2:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

But...

Chris “Toothless Aggression” Johnson is NOT an MVP candidate if Troy isn’t.

Period. End of discussion.

That could be the worst MVP vote in the history of the league.

by ncoolong on Jan 2, 2009 2:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Who?

Who is Chris Johnson?

by worldtrip on Jan 2, 2009 3:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Some people

really do have heightened senses, they are more in tune with everything around them and can just “feel” what is going on around them. If you’ve read Steeler Nation (GREAT book by the way), Wexell talks about how growing up Troy was a beast as a baseball player, and then they found out he could barely see the ball because he needed glasses all along—and managed to still be a great hitter. His coach thought he must hear it coming! Anyways, many athletes, like Mario Lemieux exhibit a feel for the players and ball (or puck) around them. Lemieux just sensed where his teammates were even when they were not anywhere in his field of vision. Polamalu is the same with his teammates and with the ball. He just senses it. Mix in unbelievable athletic ability (Ike Taylor might run a faster 40, but I bet Troy outruns almost anyone in the league in a footrace with pads on), and great intelligence, he is an absolute murderer of offenses. As I mentioned in another post, teams are running more against us mostly to avoid the carnage that happens when they put the ball in the air with Polamalu hanging around back there. They aren’t successful running either, but at least they aren’t just committing suicide by leaving it in Troy’s hands. Absolutely, supremely, devastating force.

by TheMostViolentTeam on Jan 2, 2009 3:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ahem...

Speaking of Steeler Nation…

http://www.realfootball365.com/articles/steelers/13443

+1 it’s a great book…

by ncoolong on Jan 2, 2009 11:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Trojan Horse

Man, did we find a great safety, all around player, and person in that horse. He is already right up there with Shell and Lake. He is not a flash in the pants one great play, and takes the rest of the game off. Nearly every game is a high light reel, either with great plays, or just per old fashion hard play. Even when he is out there as the walking wounded the D plays better or at least looser.

I don’t know if we will ever see another safety like him, but I do know even when he loses a step, he will still be one of the best “regular” SS in the league.

by SteelBuckeye on Jan 2, 2009 5:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think it's important

to remember Troy’s first year was a bit of a bust. The talent was always there but the mental aspect took a year to develop. The same can be said of Lawrence Timmons and will hopefully be said about Mendenhall and Sweed.

The Steelers have always built their team around the draft with a few role player free agents sprinkled in. Sometimes they exceed expectations (Mewelde Moore, Jeff Hartings) and sometimes they go on to have HOF numbers (Bettis, Farrior). But the predominant method for the Steelers is draft, develop and turn em’ loose!

No player exemplifies this better than Troy Polamalu, His plays will live on in Steeler lore for generations to come. And to top it all off, he’s even a terrific person. We are truly blessed to have such a special player on such a special franchise.

by Steev1705 on Jan 2, 2009 8:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Personally...

I love rooting for a team that doesn’t need its rookies to step in and compete for pointless awards – a la Chris Johnson, that sack of shit on the Titans. Sweed is 6-foot-4 and runs like a deer, I think he’ll come around. Mendenhall suffered a season-ending injury, so he comes back when he’s 22. It’ll be like having two first-round picks next year.

by ncoolong on Jan 2, 2009 11:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

That's exactly how I see it.

We have two first round picks next year. Let’s remember, one of Mendenhall’s strong points was his lack of mileage. he only started his Junior year. When he comes back next year, he will have that same low mileage. It’s tough to make an impact in your first year on this team. We are that good.

by Jonny B. on Jan 3, 2009 1:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs