Steelers' Troy Polamalu retires after 12 seasons
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu has informed the team that he will be retiring ahead of the 2015 season.
Polamalu, 33, announced the news Thursday in an exclusive interview with Jim Wexell of SteelCityInsider.
"It's all about family," Polamalu told Wexell. "I live here in Pittsburgh now, and since the end of the season I've had a chance to enjoy my family on a level I never had before. It was awesome."
The Steelers made Polamalu's retirement official Friday.
"Since we drafted him in 2003, Troy Polamalu has been an outstanding player and person," Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. "On behalf of the entire Steelers organization and the Steelers Nation, I am happy to be able to publicly celebrate and thank Troy for his many contributions to the Steelers. His unique style of play will be remembered among the all-time Steelers. His passion for the game of football on the field and his willingness to be a contributor to the community make him a very special person."
Added head coach Mike Tomlin: "Troy is a shining example of a football man in the way he loved the game, the way he respected the game and the way he played the game. It's a shining example of the window into who he is. He is a legendary Steeler and a legendary man. I congratulate him and wish him nothing but the best moving forward."
The Steelers had reportedly been hoping that the veteran would retire, paving the way for a new defensive identity to take shape under new defensive coordinator Keith Butler.
The eight-time Pro Bowler played 12 seasons, all with the Steelers, amassing 770 tackles and 32 interceptions. He won two Super Bowls and will go down as one of the greatest safeties in NFL history.
"I did not seriously consider playing elsewhere," Polamalu said. "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, and what they kept saying back to me, and which was not a sufficient reason, was 'Troy, you played 12 years in the NFL, you won Super Bowls, won individual awards. There's nothing left to prove. You have a legacy.' And I just kept saying, 'First of all, I don't care about a legacy. Second of all, I play the game because I enjoy it.' That's the reason to keep playing."
Despite his passion for the game, Polamalu conceded that his age was catching up with him and a life after football is something he wants to enjoy.
"Maybe it was a sign for me to retire when I chase my kids around and couldn't catch them," Polamalu said with a laugh. "It was either a sign for me to retire or a sign for them to begin training."
The league will go on without Polamalu's flowing locks, but it will be difficult.