ESPN’s latest look at college football’s all-time greats put Troy Polamalu in a familiar place: at the top of the list for No. 43.
The USC Hall of Fame safety was the choice in ESPN’s ranking of the greatest player to ever wear each number, and the network pointed to the same traits that made him a force in Cardinal and Gold. “Polamalu played far bigger than his 5-foot-10 size because of his ability to find the ball and make plays superceded everything else,” ESPN wrote.
“Known for his long black hair that spilled out from his helmet, Polamalu made trademark plays with ferocious tackling. Over four years, Polamalu had 281 tackles and six interceptions and went on to a Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the Steelers.”
Polamalu’s USC run stretched from 1999 through 2002, and he closed it with 281 tackles and six interceptions. He served as a two-time team captain and earned All-American honors after both the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
After college, the Pittsburgh Steelers took him with the 16th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. Polamalu spent all 12 of his NFL seasons in Pittsburgh, piling up eight Pro Bowl selections, four first-team All-Pro nods and two second-team All-Pro honors. He also helped the Steelers win Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.
Polamalu was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
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