polamalubeast
08-26-2013, 09:20 AM
The Steelers have picked up one of the NFL's best defensive players and he could make a huge impact in 2013.
His name is Troy Polamalu.
For the third preseason game in a row, Polamalu played like it was 2010. That was his NFL Defensive Player of the Year season. If he can keep this up, the Steelers will have added a valued piece to a defense that mostly went missing in 2012. And they will have both Jerome Bettis and an unnamed physical therapist from California to thank for it.
Polamalu was up to his old disruptive self Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. He helped blow up several plays, including the fourth-and-1 Chiefs gamble that Jarvis Jones and Ziggy Hood were credited for stopping in the first quarter.
"He looks good, man," fellow safety Ryan Clark said. "He's healthy, he's been able to practice every day. ... He's running well, his weight is down, I think that is what's the most important thing, him being in position to stay healthy."
Polamalu cited Bettis for a long-ago lesson he said he finally learned this year -- not to enter the season with an injury -- although sometimes it cannot be avoided. Last season, Polamalu said he felt as good as he ever had in the 16th game. But he played in just seven games because of his lingering calf injury.
"I've had the calf problem for the last three, four years and in the offseason it kind of goes away," Polamalu said. "But when you start practicing ... the calf tightens and it eventually goes."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/on-the-steelers-encouraging-signs-for-troy-polamalu-700801/#ixzz2d5KWcRjB
His name is Troy Polamalu.
For the third preseason game in a row, Polamalu played like it was 2010. That was his NFL Defensive Player of the Year season. If he can keep this up, the Steelers will have added a valued piece to a defense that mostly went missing in 2012. And they will have both Jerome Bettis and an unnamed physical therapist from California to thank for it.
Polamalu was up to his old disruptive self Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. He helped blow up several plays, including the fourth-and-1 Chiefs gamble that Jarvis Jones and Ziggy Hood were credited for stopping in the first quarter.
"He looks good, man," fellow safety Ryan Clark said. "He's healthy, he's been able to practice every day. ... He's running well, his weight is down, I think that is what's the most important thing, him being in position to stay healthy."
Polamalu cited Bettis for a long-ago lesson he said he finally learned this year -- not to enter the season with an injury -- although sometimes it cannot be avoided. Last season, Polamalu said he felt as good as he ever had in the 16th game. But he played in just seven games because of his lingering calf injury.
"I've had the calf problem for the last three, four years and in the offseason it kind of goes away," Polamalu said. "But when you start practicing ... the calf tightens and it eventually goes."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/on-the-steelers-encouraging-signs-for-troy-polamalu-700801/#ixzz2d5KWcRjB