Steelers run a ‘West Coast defense,’ re-sign Polamalu

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, July 26, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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Funny. The member of the Pittsburgh Steelers who seems to care the least about money now has the most of it.

Troy Polamalu -- a Samoan warrior on the field but a thoughtful, almost Zen-like aesthetic off it -- signed a four-year contract extension worth $33 million on Tuesday, making him both the highest-paid Steeler ever and the highest-paid safety in the NFL.

"I didn't want to be one of those players who jumps from team to team," Polamalu said.

However, rumors that Polamalu might prefer to play on the West Coast when his contract expired next year may have encouraged the Rooneys to pull out their wallets before the 49ers and Chargers, among others.

From Polamalu's perspective, he will only be 30 years old when the new contract expires, thus giving him another shot at the free-agent market if he decides to take it.

A product of the University of Southern California, where he roomed with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, Polamalu is entering his fifth year with the Steelers. He is best known nationally for his flowing mane of black hair (he was once pulled down by his hair after making an interception).

At 5-foot-10, 210 pounds, Polamalu is stout enough to punish even the biggest running backs and tight ends and quick enough to sparkle in pass coverage. His versatility was celebrated in a Sports Illustrated article prior to the 2006 Super Bowl, a story that also did a lot to bolster Polamalu's image as community-minded and spiritual.

Interestingly, new Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is a strong proponent of the Cover 2 defense, which he learned under Tony Dungy at Tampa Bay. In that alignment, the two safeties divide the deeper part of the field between them, much like a zone defense in basketball, and are less likely to blitz or move up against the run.

"It's not a big deal," defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said after Tomlin's hire was announced. "We already use that defense a lot more than people think."

Polamalu missed two games with a knee injury last season, but he arrived in camp Monday healthy. In fact, according to Ed Bouchete of the Pittsburgh Press, he was one of the players told to run 16 100-yard dashes for not completing as many of 44 of the assigned 50 offseason workouts.

A Pro Bowl choice in 2005, Polamalu suffered a slight statistical letdown last season, largely because of the injury (he played hurt for several games before being shut down). He had 57 tackles (down from 73 in 2005), one sack (compared to three the previous year) and three interceptions (two in '05).

It's probable, though, that the Steelers ponied up to keep Polamalu around as much for his presence and influence in the clubhouse as his contributions on the field.

Even offensive guard Alan Faneca, feuding with Steelers management over his own contract decision, had nothing bad to say about the contract given Polamalu.

"Good for Troy," Faneca said. "Troy deserves it."

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