San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga has a very close relationship with former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. Polamalu helped Hufanga prepare for his college career at USC, which is also where Polamalu played, and later his NFL career. The two remain close to this day. Polamalu is a mentor of sorts to Hufanga, and with the Steelers set to host the 49ers in Week One, Hufanga said it would be “awesome” if Polamalu is in attendance.
“We’ve talked about it. Obviously, I think that it would be cool for him to be there. I don’t know, truly, ‘cause he does have kids and his kids are starting to play football and stuff, so could be a busy weekend for him as well. But if he’s out there, it would be awesome,” Hufanga said via NBC Sports San Francisco.
Polamalu reportedly had a bit of a strained relationship with the Steelers organization over his “retirement” following the 2014 season, but the Pro Football Hall of Famer has since been more active around the team. He recently appeared on the All Things Covered podcast with former teammate Bryant McFadden and current Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson, where he reminisced about his career and told some great stories.
His close relationship with Hufanga certainly makes his appearance in the season opener possible. While it would be a show of support to Hufanga, it would also fire up the Acrisure Stadium crowd, having one of the Steelers’ best defensive players in recent history in attendance.
Hufanga’s performance over two years in the league is something that should make Polamalu proud. He was a first-team All-Pro last season after recording four interceptions to go along with 97 tackles, nine passes defensed and two forced fumbles in only his second year in the league. He’s one of the anchors of a very strong San Francisco defense that will be a big test for Pittsburgh’s young offense in Week One.
Whether Polamalu is in attendance or not, Hufanga is a player the Steelers need to account for. He can turn the game on its head with just one play, just like his mentor used to do. We’ll see if Hufanaga is able to do enough to help San Francisco steal a road win over Pittsburgh.
