New York Post
http://www.nypost.com
January 21, 2011
PITTSBURGH — Troy Polamalu’s voice never rose above its trademark whisper, but his eyes sure lit up at the meaning.
When the Steelers’ safety heard Santonio Holmes had called him “probably the greatest player I’ve ever played with or even seen play in person,” Polamalu took it as an early mental victory going into Sunday’s AFC title game with the Jets.
“If he’s not thinking right calling me that, then that’s good for [the Steelers] this week,” Polamalu said of his former teammate.
It bodes even better for the Steelers that Polamalu actually is playing this time. The relentless All-Pro does so much for Pittsburgh’s defense that his injury absence when these teams met last month appeared to be a big reason for the Jets’ 22-17 upset win at Heinz Field. In the past two seasons, the Steelers are 16-4 when he plays and 6-7 without him.
Troy Polamalu intercepts a pass intended for Cleveland Browns' Ben Watson during the first quarter of their NFL football game in Cleveland, Ohio January 2, 2011. (Reuters)Polamalu won’t hype his own bounty of All-Pro skills — he put no credence in Holmes’ over-the-top praise, calling it “off the charts” — but Polamalu’s teammates certainly will.
“You’re talking about the heart and soul of our defense and maybe the heart and soul of our whole team,” cornerback Bryant McFadden said this week. “We just feed off the guy. He’s an inspiration.”
The Steelers also can’t help but tease Polamalu because his off-field and on-field personas could not possibly be more different. As quiet and calm as a librarian away from the sport, Polamalu morphs into a Tasmanian devil who hits like he was shot out of a cannon between the lines.
That reckless abandon — combined with the flowing, curly hair that seems to get bushier by the day — has made Polamalu a league-wide fan favorite and an unlikely TV pitchman, much to his teammates’ amusement.
“How do you feel about being the second-most attractive safety on this team, but yet you get all the commercials?” safety Ryan Clark jokingly asked Polamalu yesterday while imitating a reporter. “Can you explain that, Troy?”
But Polamalu’s teammates kid because they love. Several shuddered this week when asked how the current incarnation of the Steelers’ defense would fare without him around.
“Don’t even want to think about it,” cornerback Ike Taylor said.
The Steelers got a glimpse of that bleakness last month, when the Jets ran for 106 yards in their upset victory — the most allowed by Pittsburgh all season.
Compare that to last week’s comeback win over the Ravens in the divisional round, when Polamalu and Pittsburgh held Baltimore to 125 passing yards while forcing three turnovers, and you see why the Steelers get heartburn thinking about life without him.
The Jets certainly know Polamalu’s impact as the signal-caller and top playmaker in Pittsburgh’s defense. Polamalu playing this time around makes it unlikely the Jets will hand off the ball 27 times like they did last month, and Mark Sanchez will have to account for his fellow USC Trojan at all times, because Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau loves to move Polamalu around.
“I don’t imagine their game plan changing this time over one player being back,” Polamalu said of the Jets.
The crowd around Polamalu and some of his teammates chuckled at that response, because they all knew it wasn’t true.
bhubbuch@nypost.com
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