Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On Saturday in Miami ahead of Super Bowl LIV, Polamalu was elected as one of the five 2020 Modern Era Pro Football Hall of Fame Class members.
Polamalu, who was a first-time eligible finalists this year for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft, the 16th pick overall, out of USC. The Steelers made a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in the first-round of the 2004 NFL Draft to move up 11 spots to select Polamalu.
Polamalu went on to play 12 seasons with the Steelers and his career ended after the 2014 season with him being a two-time Super Bowl champion, a four-time first team All-Pro selection, a two-time second team All-Pro selection, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2010), an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and Steelers All-Time Team.
In his 12 seasons with the Steelers, Polamalu recorded 32 total regular season interceptions in addition to three more in the playoffs. He registered 14 forced fumbles and recovered seven total fumbles. Five of those regular season takeaways that Polamalu registered during his career in Pittsburgh he returned for touchdowns and he also returned one for a score in a playoff game. He is credited with making 778 total regular season tackles during his career and 12 total sacks.
As for former Steelers guard Alan Faneca, who was a Hall of Fame finalists for a fifth consecutive year, he failed to get elected on Saturday.
Faneca, the Steelers first-round selection in the 1998 NFL Draft out of LSU, was a six-time All-Pro selection during his 13-year NFL career. He was also was selected to nine Pro Bowls and named to the Steelers All-Time Team in 2007 and the NFL 2000’s All-Decade Team.
Faneca played 10 years with the Steelers before rounding out his career with the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals. He won one Super Bowl with the Steelers in 2005.
