For the first time in 13 years, the Pittsburgh Steelers will break training camp without Troy Polamalu on the roster.
The 12-year NFL veteran and eight-time Pro Bowl safety informed Steelers brass that he will not return for his 13th year with the club.
Citing family as one of the primary reasons he was retiring from the NFL, Polamalu had this to say to the Herald-Standard on Thursday evening.
It’s all about family,” said Polamalu in a phone interview. “I live here in Pittsburgh now, and since the end of the season I’ve had a chance to enjoy my family on a level I never had before. It was awesome.”
According to the report, Polamalu had resisted calls for him to retire from within the organization until he came to a final determination to hang up his cleats this past week.
A first-round pick of the Steelers in 2003, Polamalu made his name as a fearless hitter and downright physical force in the team’s secondary for well over a decade. Injuries and age caught up with the USC product over the past few seasons. He recorded just 69 tackles and zero interceptions in 12 games (all starts) this past year. Overall, Polamalu played in 35 of a possible 48 games over the past three seasons.
The defensive back ends his NFL career with 32 interceptions, 14 forced fumbles and three defensive touchdowns. He also earned eight Pro Bowl appearances, was a First-Team All-Pro four times and won two Super Bowls.
In announcing his retirement, Polamalu indicated that he never seriously considered playing elsewhere.
I did not seriously consider playing elsewhere,” Polamalu said. “It was just whether or not I wanted to play. I had talked to a lot of people about what I should do with my situation, and what they kept saying back to me, and which was not a sufficient reason, was ‘Troy, you played 12 years in the NFL, you won Super Bowls, won individual awards. There’s nothing left to prove. You have a legacy.’ And I just kept saying, ‘First of all, I don’t care about a legacy. Second of all, I play the game because I enjoy it.’ That’s the reason to keep playing.”
While there will be questions regarding Polamalu’s status as a future Hall of Famer, he’s likely going to be in the conversation moving forward.
Photo: USA Today Images