List season continues, but only for a few days longer as training camps are beginning all around the league. This time Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon put together an All-Star team from the 21st century, and a pair of Steelers made the cut: S Troy Polamalu and OG Alan Faneca.
There are two safeties who come to mind when you think of 2000s-era safeties. Both were in the AFC North with Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu, who are both now Hall of Famers. They might make the all-time list, let alone just the 21st century. Polamalu was a one-of-one player with the way he played the position. His instincts were second to none, and his impact on the team was apparent. In games where Polamalu played, the Steelers were 96-46 (.676). In games where Polamalu did not play due to injury or toward the beginning of his career when he wasn’t starting, the Steelers were 26-24 (.520).
He was a player that opposing offenses had to account for at the start of every play. Where is No. 43 lined up? Because you never knew when he was going to do this:
There was no shortage of memorable, iconic plays when it came to Polamalu. There was the one-handed interception against the Tennessee Titans in 2009, the diving finger-tip interception near the ground against the Chargers in 2008, and of course the pick-six in the AFC Championship Game against the Ravens in 2008. Trying to narrow down his top plays to a list of five or even 10 is nearly impossible.
In 142 regular-season starts, Polamalu had 783 tackles, 56 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 12 QB hits, 14 forced fumbles, 32 interceptions, and five defensive touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl eight times, the first-team All-Pro list four times, and won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2010.
As for Faneca, he makes the list alongside Zack Martin as the two guards. Here is what Gagnon wrote on including Faneca:
“Martin couldn’t be denied because he’s still kicking ass as a nine-time Pro Bowler at 33, putting us in a tough spot with Faneca and Hutchinson. Both are legends and HOFers, but Faneca won a Super Bowl and beat Hutchinson 6-5 when it came to first-team All-Pro honors.”
When it comes to guards with dominant stretches of play, Faneca is near the top of the list. He made nine-straight Pro Bowls from 2001-2009 and was either a first- or second-team All-Pro for eight of those seasons. He paved the way for a Super Bowl win and blocked for the likes of Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker, and Ben Roethlisberger.
He made a key block on Parker’s 75-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XL. I included a clip of that run (and block) below from Kevin Gallagher on X.
When you are talking about 23 years of players, it is exceptionally difficult to make the 21st century list. Still, there are some notable Steelers who at least deserve consideration and were not included.
WR Antonio Brown is among the best receivers in league history, but it is also hard to argue with Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Larry Fitzgerald being included. Maurkice Pouncey is definitely high on the list of 21st century centers, but Jason Kelce is more than deserving. T.J. Watt could very well end his career on this list, but is currently behind the likes of J.J. Watt, DeMarcus Ware, and Julius Peppers as an edge defender. RB Jerome Bettis also deserves consideration as a Hall of Famer, but Adrian Peterson and LaDainian Tomlinson each won a league MVP award – hard to argue there.
All things considered, having two players on the 21st century All-Star list is pretty strong for the Steelers.
