by Rebecca Rollett on May 29, 2012 8:00 AM EDT in Steelers Roster
Despite the excitement of OTAs, it's still the off-season. So let's step back for just a moment and take a closer look at some players who will help to define the 2012 Steelers season. Because he's been in the news a lot this past week, I'm going to begin with Troy Polamalu. (The fact that he is my personal favorite Steeler has nothing whatsoever to do with this choice).
Why has he been in the news? First, because he was at the OTAs this past week. This is a big deal in his case because he generally has not participated in them in the past. Typically he spends the spring working with Marv Marinovich, his trainer in LA. Bob Labriola of the Steelers Digest expressed some concern, as he feels Morinovich's workouts have helped Polamalu stay healthier longer, but he also felt having Troy be a more obvious part of the team leadership is beneficial enough to outweigh his concern.
This year Mike Tomlin, who is looking to fill the leadership roles vacated by the likes of James Farrior and Aaron Smith, asked Polamalu if he would come to OTAs. He did.
As reported by Ed Bouchette, Polamalu said he came "for obvious reasons."
"We had a lot of our major leadership leave, people that we count on. I think it's nice for the younger guys to see a familiar face, and, honestly, to get myself better."
"You can't say that it won't affect the team," Polamalu said of the leadership drain. "How we react to it, time will tell, but losing some major players on this team is going to be quite different."
So Polamalu, who has made seven Pro Bowls, decided to do what he called "support his teammates" by turning out for his rare OTA appearance.
Will he turn out to be one of the guys to step into the leadership vacuum? He says not, although as Mark Kaboly reports, Larry Foote disagrees with him.
"I really don't think anybody really steps into those types of roles and gets out of character that's within their own character," Polamalu said. "Yeah, I am definitely not a vocal leader, if a leader at all."
Foote disagrees.
"He's always been a vocal leader," Foote said. "Especially since he's been here this long, everybody is a leader. He talks out there on the field. He is just not loud and you can't see him, but he's talking."
One way he provides leadership is by his own impossibly high standards for his own play. It must speak volumes to the rookies and newly signed players to know the Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 and one of the top-ranked safeties in 2011 believes he has room for improvement:
"To be honest, every year I ever had was below my standards," Polamalu said. "I have expectations from myself. I have a lot to improve on ... from pass coverage-wise to tackling and run defense. You name it. You spend the entire offseason breaking yourself down and see where you can improve. There is a lot for me to improve."
No one who watched the Steelers-Bengals game in December of the 2010 season, and particularly his interview after it, could ever again doubt he means this. As Jim Wexell wrote after the game,
On the field, Troy Polamalu was his usual self with two interceptions, one of which he returned for a game-changing touchdown.
In the locker room, Polamalu was also his usual self, bemoaning his mistakes, in particular a wild lateral while returning his second interception.
(read more) http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2012/5/29/3045623/pittsburgh-steelers-player-profiles-ss-troy-polamalu
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