Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamaluis a former American football strong safety who played his entire twelve-year career for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Southern California, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was chosen by the Steelers in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He was a member of two of the Steelers' Super Bowl championship teams, and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2010...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionFootball Player
Date of Birth19 April 1981
CityGarden Grove, CA
CountryUnited States of America
The greatest joy I get is setting up plays for somebody else. I take a lot of pride in helping other people make plays.
I do have a trophy room-it's in my attic, in boxes.
All of my Polynesian counterparts in the NFL with roots in American Samoa understand how the values embedded in our South Pacific culture - community, hard work, perseverance, respect - contribute directly to our success.
I love Hawaii. I really enjoy surfing in Oahu, and Waianae is such a great area. And Maui - I like Maui a lot, too.
Our sport is not made for anybody to be able to play it, especially at the NFL level, so there's obviously some risk that we all take knowingly.
When I let my hair down, I just let it down. It's more comfortable in my helmet.
In Pennsylvania, I love the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington. It's a scenic area. We also enjoy visiting the Laurel Highlands in Western Pennsylvania. The mountains are really something to be seen, and it's a great area to be outside.
If you don't eat right as an athlete, you'll get tired and won't be as sharp. It's simple to drink sodas and sports drinks, but water is the most essential drink to put in your body.
Whenever I do the sign of the cross, it always brings comfort in situations when you are faced with adversity and stress.
Playing professional sports, it's important to eat healthy and take care of your body. In the offseason, rest is really important to me.
I really enjoy surfing a lot. It's an awesome sport. With surfing there are no mind games versus Peyton Manning, or versus anyone else. It's not me trying to throw a certain shot put further - or to put a ball in a hoop, it's just me against mother nature.
I think it's important to cross train. Surfing is a good cross training sport for your shoulders. I don't think I know of any other football player who does it, who can go and paddle out past the sets.
I work barefooted on balance plates. I do explosive squats on balance surfaces that your body has to use muscles it's not used to. It's all kinds of exercises that your body isn't really used to, and it tricks your body into getting stronger every time.
I've been surfing for a couple years, in the offseason in California and in Hawaii. I'm not very good, but it's just something that to be out there in the water, no cell phone, no music... very few sports are as pure as that.