Lady Steel
04-10-2015, 10:43 PM
McKeesport native Mike Logan was one of the first people in Pittsburgh to get to know Troy Polamalu when the Steelers drafted Polamalu in 2003.
A first-round pick from the University of Southern California, Polamalu was brought in to eventually replace Logan, then a safety pushing 30 years old. A respected veteran, Logan knew his career had reached the point that he would become a mentor.
But a funny thing happened: The protégé provided guidance for the mentor.
“You're thinking that I'm going to come in and take him under my wing, but it was almost reversed,” Logan said. Polamalu ended his Hall of Fame-caliber career at strong safety when he retired Thursday. “I learned so much from him as an individual about his faith, about his life, about what he wanted to represent, what he wanted to leave as a lasting legacy. And I truly appreciated that from him.
“You could see the maturity in him from Day 1. He earned my respect from Day 1, and he has it until this day.”
It's all part of the legacy Polamalu has left upon the Steelers, fans and countless others in Western Pennsylvania.
http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/8145462-74/polamalu-steelers-troy#axzz3Wy685kqM
A first-round pick from the University of Southern California, Polamalu was brought in to eventually replace Logan, then a safety pushing 30 years old. A respected veteran, Logan knew his career had reached the point that he would become a mentor.
But a funny thing happened: The protégé provided guidance for the mentor.
“You're thinking that I'm going to come in and take him under my wing, but it was almost reversed,” Logan said. Polamalu ended his Hall of Fame-caliber career at strong safety when he retired Thursday. “I learned so much from him as an individual about his faith, about his life, about what he wanted to represent, what he wanted to leave as a lasting legacy. And I truly appreciated that from him.
“You could see the maturity in him from Day 1. He earned my respect from Day 1, and he has it until this day.”
It's all part of the legacy Polamalu has left upon the Steelers, fans and countless others in Western Pennsylvania.
http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/8145462-74/polamalu-steelers-troy#axzz3Wy685kqM