Pittsburgh Steeler Safety Troy Polamalu Retires

jmt57 · Apr 10, 2015

Safety is one of the most difficult positions to judge who is average, good or great. There are no useful stats to compare players at that position, as compared to quarterback, running back, receiver, corner, or DE/OLB (depending on 3-4 or 4-3). I think that is one reason why there are so few safeties in the Hall of Fame (see post #12 above).

To me when you are talking about the Hall of Fame, you should start by comparing a player to his contemporaries, his peers. Off the top of my head I would think Ed Reed, Polamalu, John Lynch and Adrian Lynch are in that conversation. From there the debate should extend to which ones do and do not deserve enshrinement.

Of course who deserves to go in and who most likely will go in are often two completely different lists.

supafly · Apr 11, 2015

I see the typical kind of "how will the team survive without him" statements on my social media pages littered with Steeler fans, but the truth of the matter is that they should be happy that the team has moved on. They could have arguably done so a couple of years ago, as his skills have diminished significantly.

On a different note--he has an excellent reputation here in Pittsburgh, and often picks up the check for the entire restaurant etc, when he's out and about (opposite = Roethlisberger/major douche). He seems like a great guy--just a guy who has seen better days on the field.

RobAllan · Apr 11, 2015

I'm surprised how many are questioning his cred. He was HEAD AND SHOULDERS above the competition.

FCB02062 · Apr 11, 2015

Good riddance

SalemPats · Apr 11, 2015

When you think safeties there are 3 players that come to mind right away, Lott, Ed Reed and Troy. He took a lot of risks, but he was an impact player who played with toughness and heart. He was a safety that could cover a TE and was great against the run. As someone who loves to watch players in the secondary play he was amazing to watch. He won 2 SBs, great character player and a future HOF. Nothing but respect for him.

ThatllMoveTheChains!!! · Apr 11, 2015

SalemPats said:
When you think safeties there are 3 players that come to mind right away, Lott, Ed Reed and Troy. He took a lot of risks, but he was an impact player who played with toughness and heart. He was a safety that could cover a TE and was great against the run. As someone who loves to watch players in the secondary play he was amazing to watch. He won 2 SBs, great character player and a future HOF. Nothing but respect for him.

No Rodney?

Boston Boxer · Apr 11, 2015

Well, bye

slam · Apr 11, 2015

IcyPatriot said:
Loved watching him play ... when it wasn't against us ...

Great player ...... hope his adjustment away from playing goes well.

I loved watching Troy Polamalu play against us. Brady has owned Pittsburgh throughout his entire career. 5-2 with 18 TDs vs 3 INTs. His QB rating of 109.7 was his third best in terms of teams against. Whatever Troy meant against the rest of the league, he was barely a speedbump against the Pats.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BradTo00/splits/

mrbean · Apr 12, 2015

I wish the guy the best of luck. He seems like a solid person off the field.

He was a fun player to watch, but he was never a guy that I coveted to have on our team due to his freelancing ways. IMO, he spent the first half of his career building a reputation that he spent the second half living off.

SalemPats · Apr 12, 2015

ThatllMoveTheChains!!! said:
No Rodney?

I put Rodney slightly behind thos two

PP2 · Apr 12, 2015

Hell of a player. Really put his heart into the game.

Jackson 2 · Apr 12, 2015

PP2 said:
Hell of a player. Really put his heart into the game.

It's a good thing he didn't play every game of his career against Brady. He would have been cut after 6 games. Terrific dirty player, though, and a great human being.

Jackson 2 · Apr 12, 2015

FCB02062 said:
Good riddance

To bad rubbish.

PatsWickedPissah · Apr 12, 2015

I think he makes the HOF...by a hair

grux · Apr 12, 2015

BradyFTW! said:
Polamalu shouldn't be a first-ballot HOFer. I think he's a virtual lock to get in, but people dramatically overestimate him. He was really, really good, but he didn't have a particularly long career and Ed Reed was simply better than him. He's a guy who played a position that's relatively low on the totem pole, was never the best at his position, and didn't have an especially long career. The rings will definitely help, and I think he's a lock to get in eventually, but I would think the standard for 'consensus first ballot' would be a little higher.

I think people just generally tend to underestimate how high a bar you have to clear to get into the HOF at all. Guys like Wilfork may or may not get in, and I'd put Polamalu right around that tier. I think the difference--what makes him a lock and Wilfork not--is that he played a higher-profile position in a higher profile way. But saying day one that someone will be a first ballot guy is pretty much reserved for transcendent, generational talents. At any given time, there's a handful of them in the league, and Polamalu was not one of those guys. Maybe if something close to his prime had lasted a few more years.

I agree. How can you put Polamalu in and not Rodney?

Soul_Survivor88 · Apr 12, 2015

Troy has respect for Brady, and should be respected for some of the kind things he has said:

"He’s the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. He goes from being a rookie that nobody is expecting anything from, to taking over with people saying he can’t do it, to winning three Super Bowls....It should already be obvious he’s the greatest quarterback to ever have played. "

Thanks Troy for being a classy opponent on the field!

Froob · Apr 13, 2015

Great player and a great person. Pats always seemed to have his number though. Personally, I'd still take Reed over him anyday as far as that argument goes but Troy did have some really nice years and got a couple of rings. Never going to forget that interception getting reversed in 2005 in Indy in that playoff game. One of the worst calls of all time, glad they still won that game.

rochrist · Apr 14, 2015

IcyPatriot said:
Loved watching him play ... when it wasn't against us ...

Great player ...... hope his adjustment away from playing goes well.

I particulary liked watching him play against the Pats. Brady owned his ass.

Pittsburgh Steeler Safety Troy Polamalu Retires

jmt57

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