Polamalu Talked, Played a Good Game

Friday, October 14, 2005
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

James Farrior said he didn't actually hear it. Rather, he said he heard about it, from some of his teammates. Several days later, he still can't believe what he was told.

Troy Polamalu ... trash talking?

C'mon.

"I heard he was jawing a little bit, but I didn't actually hear it myself," Farrior said. "Because if I heard it, I might have fell out of something."

Polamalu yapping his mouth is like Barry Bonds hugging a cameraman. Nobody really believes it unless they see it ... or, in this instance, hear it.

But there was Polamalu, wrestling with offensive linemen, being penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, goodness, even exchanging verbal spars with members of the San Diego Chargers, in Monday night's 24-22 thriller in Qualcomm Stadium, a game with the kinetic intensity of a bullfight.

To be sure, Polamalu was his usual whirling-dervish self against the Chargers -- legs flying, arms flailing, hair bouncing -- making a team-high nine tackles (eight solo).

None was bigger than the time he caught LaDainian Tomlinson from behind on a 41-yard swing pass that might have gone for a touchdown.

But, at times, Polamalu, a Pro Bowl safety, was acting as if someone twisted his hair too tight.
Soft-spoken and monk-like quiet off the field, Polamalu was anything but on the field against the Chargers -- annoying them with his style and getting into confrontations with other players on at least four occasions.

"When you see Troy upset, you know there's a lot of stuff going on," safety Chris Hope said. "There was a lot of stuff going on."

"When that point is hit, it comes out no matter who you are," linebacker Joey Porter said. "You can act like you don't do it, but it's football. I never met a nice football player. This game is too violent and too aggressive to be nice the whole time."

Polamalu's uncharacteristic behavior merely crystallized the intensity with which the Steelers (3-1) played against the Chargers. It was similar to a Sunday night last season in Jacksonville when the Jaguars tried to match the Steelers' physical style and verbal intimidation, a game a lot of the players considered one of the most physical of the year.

And, just like Monday night's game in San Diego, Ben Roethlisberger rallied the Steelers and Jeff Reed kicked the winning field goal with 18 seconds left for a 17-16 victory against the Jaguars.
Curiously, it is the Jaguars (3-2) who come to Heinz Field Sunday, looking for their second consecutive victory against an AFC North contender.

"I just think with some of the stuff they were doing, it makes you do that," cornerback Deshea Townsend said. "You're not going to let anybody push you without pushing back.

"That's how it goes. It started earlier, on a run support play, where [Polamalu] hit the lineman and the guy ran by him and the lineman kept pushing after the play was over. That let him know how the game was going to be the whole game."

Townsend's reference was to a play in the first quarter when Polamalu became engaged with Chargers tackle Shane Olivea and threw him to the ground along the sideline after the play had ended. Then Polamalu rolled on top of him as if he were trying to apply a wrestling-style pin.

But he became even more testy in the second half. Polamalu was penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness when he ran wide receiver Eric Parker out of bounds along the Chargers' sideline and then shoved one of the San Diego players who was not in the game.

That same series, which resulted in a 32-yard field goal by Nate Kaeding, Polamalu appeared to be verbally jousting with Parker and veteran wide receiver Keenan McCardell.

"It was a big game ... Monday night lights," Farrior said. "I think you do some crazy stuff. I guess he got worked up a little bit."

Polamalu, though, did not want to discuss his uncharacteristic behavior, saying the Chargers' game is in the past and it's time to focus on Jacksonville.

"It's a very emotional game," Polamalu said.

"Truthfully, I'm trying to forget about that. I was just playing football. It wasn't any extracurricular stuff, really. But last game was last game. You're not getting any juice from me."
Porter, though, supplied the juice.

"They were jaw-jacking us how good they were on offense," Porter said.

"I told you guys, we're not going to sit back and praise another team, even though they beat the team we lost to."

Apparently, that even applies to Polamalu.TRASH TALKER?

Troy Polamalu admits that emotions were flying high Monday night against the Chargers in San Diego.