It has been a long road for the All Pro safety. Not just in his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the different twists, turns and pot holes that have been in Troy Polamalu's way since his rookie year in 2003.
Once Polamalu became a regular in the starting lineup, it was difficult to miss the hair and the tenacity that he displayed on the field. Throwing his body around with wreckless abandon was a thing of beauty.
That was before the injuries started piling up for Polamalu in 2012.
Just when those injuries appeared to be in the rear view mirror in 2013, the Pro Bowl safety was forced to play linebacker in certain defensive packages due to injuries to key players within the organization.
Looking ahead to the 2014 season, Polamalu is in prime position to experience renaissance, or re-birth, of his NFL career at the age of 33.
The Steelers safety not only is back to full health, but is finally back to his natural position of strong safety, a position he hasn't fulfilled while healthy since the 2011 season.
Some fans might wonder if Polamalu has anything left in the tank for the 2014 season and possibly beyond. If you watched him closely during the Buffalo Bills preseason game, the safety looks as spry and active as ever.
In 2013, while playing multiple positions, Polamalu still had a pretty impressive stat line. 50 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles. Polamalu had a banner year for someone playing out of position and severely undersized at that position.
2013 was just a small sample size of what 2014 could be if Polamalu stays healthy and is able to stay at his natural position this year.
It sounds redundant, but obvious, if the Steelers want to contend for a seventh Lombardi trophy this year, they will need Polamalu at his best.