polamalubeast
10-08-2012, 06:37 AM
All eyes turned toward the big scoreboard Sunday when it played "Renegade" at Heinz Field. It's always a highlight at Steelers home games -- the amazing collection of big plays by the defense, wonderfully choreographed to the pulsating beat of Styx. Was it just me or did it seem as if Steelers safety Troy Polamalu was the star of the show? There he was, stripping the ball from Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, returning a fumble for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts, timing his leap perfectly over the offensive line to tackle Tennessee Titans quarterback Kerry Collins in the backfield on a sneak ...
The plays kept coming from Polamalu, who didn't appear to be watching from his spot on the bench. The Steelers had just scored against the Philadelphia Eagles to take a 7-0 lead on their way to a 16-14 win. But Polamalu was done for the day -- and maybe for a long, long time -- hopping off the field late in the first quarter because he couldn't put any weight on a right calf that just won't heal for him. I wonder if he was thinking what I was thinking as "Renegade" rocked the stadium. How many more big plays does he have left in him?
This injury looked bad. Polamalu missed the previous two games because of his calf and, with the Steelers' off week, had nearly a month to get it right. But he couldn't even make it through one quarter. Maybe that wouldn't seem so worrisome if this was the first time. But leg problems limited Polamalu last season and in 2010. He is 31. Is it so outrageous to think a calf injury could take him out of the game prematurely? A toe injury took down Hall of Famer Jack Lambert, didn't it? A hamstring injury finished Hall of Famer Dermontti Dawson, right?
Steelers safety Ryan Clark is Polamalu's best friend on the team. He wasn't ready to go there about Polamalu's injury but acknowledged it was significant.
"I almost had a mental collapse when I saw him get hurt," Clark said. "Sometimes, I think my love for him is a negative. I hurt selfishly when I see him hurting because I want him out there. He's part of the reason why I play here, why I come back every year.
"For something like that to happen to him, it's terrible. I know how hard he's worked to get back. I'm here at 6:30 in the morning. When I get here, he's already done with his workout. He wants to be out there with us. That's why he's hurting right now."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/ron-cook/cook-polamalus-days-might-be-numbered-656648/#ixzz28hsImW5o
The plays kept coming from Polamalu, who didn't appear to be watching from his spot on the bench. The Steelers had just scored against the Philadelphia Eagles to take a 7-0 lead on their way to a 16-14 win. But Polamalu was done for the day -- and maybe for a long, long time -- hopping off the field late in the first quarter because he couldn't put any weight on a right calf that just won't heal for him. I wonder if he was thinking what I was thinking as "Renegade" rocked the stadium. How many more big plays does he have left in him?
This injury looked bad. Polamalu missed the previous two games because of his calf and, with the Steelers' off week, had nearly a month to get it right. But he couldn't even make it through one quarter. Maybe that wouldn't seem so worrisome if this was the first time. But leg problems limited Polamalu last season and in 2010. He is 31. Is it so outrageous to think a calf injury could take him out of the game prematurely? A toe injury took down Hall of Famer Jack Lambert, didn't it? A hamstring injury finished Hall of Famer Dermontti Dawson, right?
Steelers safety Ryan Clark is Polamalu's best friend on the team. He wasn't ready to go there about Polamalu's injury but acknowledged it was significant.
"I almost had a mental collapse when I saw him get hurt," Clark said. "Sometimes, I think my love for him is a negative. I hurt selfishly when I see him hurting because I want him out there. He's part of the reason why I play here, why I come back every year.
"For something like that to happen to him, it's terrible. I know how hard he's worked to get back. I'm here at 6:30 in the morning. When I get here, he's already done with his workout. He wants to be out there with us. That's why he's hurting right now."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/ron-cook/cook-polamalus-days-might-be-numbered-656648/#ixzz28hsImW5o