(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
On this day in 2015, Troy Polamalu officially announced his retirement after playing 12 seasons with the Steelers.
Jim Wexell of Steel City Insider broke the news that Polamalu was retiring the day before, but the official announcement by the Steelers was on April 10.
“I did not consider playing elsewhere,” Polamalu told Wexell. “It was just whether or not I wanted to play. I had talked to a lot of people about what I should do with my situation.”
Polamalu was considering coming back for another season, but the Steelers brass in Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert told the soon-to-be 34-year-old that they would release him if he decided not to retire.
In addition to winning two Super Bowls with the Steelers, Polamalu was an eight-time Pro Bowler and was named first-team All-Pro four times in his Hall of Fame career, along with being named Defensive Player of the Year in 2010. Polamalu was also named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and is a member of the Steelers All-Time Team. In his 12 seasons in Pittsburgh, Polamalu started 142 of 158 games and recorded 783 total tackles, 583 of those being solos, 32 interceptions, three of which were turned for touchdowns, 107 passes defended, 12 sacks, 56 tackles for losses, 12 quarterback hits, 14 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries, two of which were returned for touchdowns.
Polamalu also had three career interceptions in the playoffs, none of which was bigger than his pick-six off Joe Flacco in the 2008 AFC Championship Game to send the Steelers to Super Bowl XLIII, which they won.
Polamalu was nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 and will be formally inducted in Canton on Saturday, August 7, as last year's ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below are some of Polamalu's greatest plays in his career.