With Troy Polamalu discussing his upcoming Hall of Fame induction, his former coaches, and the city of Pittsburgh in recent interviews, he revealed that he would be attending a game (or two) this upcoming season. In a season filled with a lot of questions for the Pittsburgh Steelers, having Troy’s presence would certainly be a huge boost for Steeler Nation! For his first Heinz Field appearance since January of 2015, there are 9 home games to choose from. The question is which one would we love to see him attend the most? Here are my top 3 games for 2021 for Troy to attend!
#3 Week 17: Browns at Steelers
Look, I know the whole Cleveland Browns Wildcard debacle is still a relatively fresh wound and tiresome—after all, Cleveland is reminding us every darn day… I digress. If there’s one team Troy enjoyed playing against, it almost certainly was the Browns. In games where Troy started, his teams only lost to Cleveland once—the lone defeat in 2014.
With that in mind, imagine a scenario where this could be a big game in primetime on Monday Night Football. Troy’s presence is established and he can watch as the Steelers battle in a renewed rivalry. Late season games always seem to have that much more at stake and the energy in the stadium could be electric. While this could very well be a huge game for Troy to attend, it’s worth noting it’d be a cold game and it is unknown, of course, where the teams would be positioned come that night. But hey… a guy can imagine, right??
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#2 Week 13: Ravens at Steelers
Yes, I know I mentioned a cold December game… but let’s face it. Some of Troy’s greatest plays came against the Baltimore Ravens. He played in the fiercest rivalry in the NFL—especially in the peak of it in the mid to late 2000s. This matchup could also be yet another important game.
Among those great Troy moments, you could immediately think about the AFC Championship pick 6, the 4th down stop from the same game, and even the strip-sack in 2010. There are a lot of plays we can think of and a chunk of them came against Baltimore. Divisional rivalry games mean just that much more. Wouldn’t it be a nice, good ole fashioned welcome back for Troy?
#1 Week 2: Raiders at Steelers
So yes, it is a warmer game than the previous two. Now I know you’re sitting there thinking, “Who cares about the Las Vegas Raiders? We know Troy doesn’t!” But first, his first career start did come against the Raiders… at home… in a home opener… with a veteran (Jerome Bettis) approaching the end of his career. Yeah, yeah… maybe I’m getting too carried away with coincidences, but hear me out on my ultimate picture I am wanting to paint for you:
Steelers will have a full stadium available for the first time since December of 2019. Not only will this be the first time Ben Roethlisberger is back in front of a full Steeler Nation in (what could be) his final season, the towels will be out in full force, and… the return of a legend. His first appearance in almost 6 years is to see his former team kick off in the stadium he called home for 12 years. The energy in Heinz Field would be electric. It would be INCREDIBLE! Let’s be real, we’re all eager to get back into Heinz Field… wouldn’t all of the pregame rituals and Troy’s return just put that atmosphere on steroids??
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BONUS:
At the end of the day, whichever game Troy returns to… it would be epic if we got a Troy Polamalu Renegade. It’s not like there aren’t plenty of hits, sacks, picks, and forced fumbles to choose from either. Who do we need to influence to make this happen, huh??
Let us know which games specifically yinz would love to see Troy at in 2021! Comment below!
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