Source: The Patriot Post
February 5, 2020
Troy Polamalu, who played safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2003 to 2014, has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He will enter the hall with Bill Cowher, who coached the team for his first four seasons, and defensive back Donnie Shell, both selected as part of the hall’s special class to celebrate the NFL’s 100th year.
Polamalu’s “combination of speed, anticipation, and toughness” made the eight-time Pro Bowler one of the best at his position in NFL history. Polamalu was named a first-team All-Pro four times and the NFL’s MVP in 2010 and won two Super Bowl rings. Many football pundits argue that he revolutionized the safety position. For a dozen years, Polamalu was the public face of the Steelers’ franchise because of his stellar performance and his television commercials for Head & Shoulders shampoo.
While playing with the Steelers, Polamalu was also widely known as one of the NFL’s most devout Christians. In his book “The Tebow Mystique,” Patton Dodd reported that Polamalu was “mentioned by fellow players for his spiritual devotion” more than anyone else. The NFL, David Kamp wrote, abounded with “Bible-study groups and postgame prayer circles. But even in this context, Polamalu stands out.” Polamalu, Kamp argued, was different from other Christian stars such as Roger Staubach and Reggie White. He was “a mystic, a man more fourth century than twenty-first, living in constant dialogue with the Deity.” “What truly marks Polamalu as a man apart,” Kamp concluded, “is his godliness.”
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