The Pittsburgh Steelers had a number of great defenders step onto Heinz Field donning the black and gold in the 2000s, but there may not be any more special than Troy Polamalu. And there’s a chance that Pittsburgh’s defense wouldn’t have been as special as it was if it wasn’t for the architect in defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. In a guest appearance on the All Things Covered podcast with Bryant McFadden and Patrick Peterson, Polamalu talked about the relationship he, along with the rest of the defense, had with LeBeau.
“It’s not that I was any more special to him than I don’t think any other player. I think that if anyone were put in my position they would love him, we all love him equally well, and he loved us equally well. So I can’t say that I had any sort of special, unique relationship. We all believed that he loved us the most,” Polamalu said.
Polamalu called it an “obvious decision” to have LeBeau present him into the Hall of Fame because LeBeau was someone who represented the entire Steelers defense and not just Polamalu. Which is quintessential Polamalu, always putting the collective ahead of his individual achievements. But it’s awesome knowing how much the entire defense felt loved by LeBeau and how much they all respected each other.
Polamalu and LeBeau always seemed to be particularly close, which isn’t all that surprising given that Polamalu was the star of LeBeau’s defense. But Polamalu doesn’t seem to feel that way, with LeBeau loving the entire defense equally and them loving him back. But the mutual respect between the two is clear.
“I think the good Lord made only one Troy and I am very thankful he placed him in our lives, that being mine and the Pittsburgh Steelers,” LeBeau said after Polamalu was announced as a Hall of Famer. “He’s a once in a generational player. There won’t be another safety like him in another 100 years.” Polamalu tweeted that “All I did was follow you” in reference to LeBeau.
LeBeau is one of the best defensive coordinators, if not the best, in NFL history. The Steelers defenses throughout the 2000s were some of the best the league has ever seen, and LeBeau was instrumental in scheming the Steelers to two Super Bowl wins.
The defense was a group that loved each other and always had each other’s back, on and off the field, and it started up top with their coordinator. The brotherhood on the field can extend to the coaching staff, especially knowing that LeBeau was someone who played the game and played it damn well, racking up 62 interceptions in his career as a player.
If it weren’t for LeBeau, there’s no telling what Pittsburgh’s defense might have looked like in the 2000s. The mutual respect between LeBeau and his players led to a lot of winning football and success. There may not be anything like the relationship he had with his players again in Steelers history, but if there is, expect a lot of success to follow.
