Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is one of the greatest safeties to ever play the game, and his talent transcended the position. In ESPN’s ranking of the top 25 players of the 21st century, Polamalu was the only Steelers player to make the list, as he came in at No. 16 in the NFL.
Polamalu was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, was a first-team All-Pro four times, a two-time Super Bowl champion and finished his career with 32 interceptions. He’s rightfully in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and will go down as one of the greatest Steelers players of all time.
Polamalu was the second highest-rated safety on the list, coming in behind Ed Reed, his longtime foe with the Baltimore Ravens. Pittsburgh native Aaron Donald ranked third, behind Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, while Peyton Manning and Randy Moss rounded out the top five.
Polamalu had no shortage of game-changing plays in his career, with one of the biggest coming in the AFC Championship game in 2008 against the Ravens. With just over four minutes to go and the Steelers clinging to a 16-14 lead, Polamalu intercepted a Joe Flacco pass, ran across the field and took it to the house for a touchdown to help seal the win.
He’s very deserving of his placement on the list. If anything, an argument can be made that Polamalu could be a little bit higher, but given everyone on the list, I won’t nitpick too much about him coming in at No. 16. He was a transcendent talent, as not only could he make plays in coverage, but his instincts helped him make plays at and behind the line of scrimmage and he was truly all over the field. He was one of the biggest reasons why Pittsburgh’s defense throughout the 2000s was such a strength.
It’s notable that Ben Roethlisberger didn’t make the list. He seemed like the only other Steelers player who could feasibly make it, but other quarterbacks like Drew Brees, who has one less Super Bowl, and Brett Favre, who had zero Super Bowls in the 21st century, made the top 20. Roethlisberger wasn’t even listed among the first five out, but it’s clear that a lack of individual awards and playing in an era full of great quarterbacks hurt him here.
Either way, Polamalu makes for a great representative from the Steelers, and it’s good to see him get some respect this offseason after that horrible all-time safety ranking.
