An Unreliable Steelers Defense In 2014 Forced Coaches To Tell Younger Players To "Ignore Troy [Polamalu]"

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive units of the early 2000s were some of the best in the league. The players that made up those teams are legendary, including Troy Polamalu. While there was a lot of generational talent, they were also led by a man who is a legend in his own right, Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau. 

LeBeau is a well-known defensive genius who helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls. Despite players' tremendous respect for LeBeau, that didn't mean they always did what he said. Polamalu is legendary for making last-second adjustments to what LeBeau told them to do. While it didn't go over well initially, LeBeau eventually extended Polamalu's leash when it became apparent that his methods were successful. 

Polamalu's former teammate, linebacker Arthur Moats, recently shared some stories about the one season they played together on his podcast, The Arthur Moats Experience. He said Polamalu could read opposing offenses as well as the coaches, and for years, he had used that to his advantage by making changes to the play that was called. 

Then Moats said however, those adaptable teammates started to retire and were replaced by players the team hoped would be the future, but weren't (like Cortez Allen and Shamarko Thomas). Moats said football can be unpredictable that way; a guy can have all the intangibles in the world, but if they don't translate to the field, it doesn't matter. 

The new players' lower caliber meant the entire defense had to change its approach. It also meant that the coaching staff had to tell the young players not to listen to Polamalu if he changed plays. 

"Remember the DBs we were transitioning through, you could tell wasn't the same. So you can't tell this young guy, 'Hey bro, you go here, I'm going to get that,' and the young boy doesn't even know what he's supposed to be doing before you even get to 'Hey, bro, take my job and I'll take your job.' That's when the rule midway through became, 'You got to ignore Troy. Y'all can't listen to Troy because everybody around here isn't on the same page.' I promise you that's what it was because we don't know if this person knows what they're doing, so when Troy does this and now you blow that coverage, you can't say it was Troy who told me to."

In prior years, Polamalu had been able to move fluidly around the field, switching places with almost everyone and confusing the offense. The coaches knew they couldn't take a chance with these less skilled players. 

Moats said that even though Polamalu was in the final season of his career in 2014, he played at a high level. He would take the whole week between games to recover to be the player he'd always been, but he did not lose many steps. Losing the ability to push the boundaries of how the safety position was played helped him decide to retire before the Steelers forced him out. 

Steelers' Troy Polamalu Once Lost His Cool

Everyone who watched the Steelers remembers Polamalu flying down the field, hair streaming out behind him, launching himself at an opponent. However, off the field, he is known for his exceptional humility and soft-spoken demeanor. 

One time, he lost his cool, and his teammates (including Moats), loved to tell that story. He said that was his first real taste of Polamalu's passion. It was a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the defense wasn't playing up to the "Steelers Way," according to Polamalu. 

Polamalu was so angry, Moats said he was in tears and was blacked out with frustration. Moats said he snatched a helmet off the bench and was ready to throw it as hard as possible. Their teammate Terence Garvin was in the helmet's trajectory; he saw life flash before his eyes. He was so relieved when Polamalu came to his senses and dropped the helmet.  

Do you remember Polamalu's passion and him attempting to change plays? Click to comment below!

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