SUPER BOWL XL: The 'Flowin' Samoan'

Cleveland Plain Dealer ^ | February 3, 2006 | Bud Shaw

[Stand Watch Listen]

He's hair, he's there. He's everywhere QB's don't expect him. He's Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.

Detroit — The “Flowin’ Samoan” has about as much chance of being overlooked in the Pittsburgh secondary during Super Bowl XL as Fabio would at boot camp.

Troy Polamalu’s only advantage in the art of clandestine operations is his height, and maybe his library voice. He’s generously listed at 5-10, which must include his braids sticking straight up in fright mode.

“I can eat peanuts off his head,” said Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, himself a great defensive back who didn’t exactly tower over receivers while starring for the old Detroit Lions. “But I’ll tell you what, he’s tall enough.”

Polamalu is an unnatural wonder, a Swiss army knife of possibilities who covers deep, floats around the Pittsburgh zone and crowds the line of scrimmage — seemingly all at the same time.

Some players are great in space. Some are terrifi c tacklers. Some know how to find the quarterback. Some work best disrupting intermediate pass routes.

“You have all four of those guys in one with Troy,” said LeBeau, who gives Polamalu checkpoints in different coverages but lets the former USC All-American decide which route to take to arrive there.

“One minute you think he’s blitzing and the next he’s running 30 yards downfield to cover a receiver,” said Seattle linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who was a red-shirt freshman at USC when Polamalu was a senior. Pittsburgh teammates call him the “Tasmanian Devil” for how he seems to be everywhere at once and for his signature move where he turns his back on the QB, fakes retreat, then spins into a perfectly timed blitz.

Deeply religious, Polamalu prefers an edited version of the nickname. ...........

[Ciexyz]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had a recent poll where the fans voted Troy as their second most favorite player. Go #43!

[prisoner6]

Troy is Da Man...like a heat seeking missle when he locks on to his target.

Check out this admittedly blurry pic...Only had my old Fuji digital with me and didn't have time to PS it...doubt that would have helped anyway.

In any case it's me and a ...ummm >friend< in our Stiller garb at a rally at the radio station where we both work...Taken in the air studio of WSHH.

2 things to notice...well...Cynthia - the cutie - is wearing #43...I'm wearing my brand >spankin< new Amerikilt.I lived through the Stiller 70's and I don't recall The Burg going as crazy as it's been th e past two weeks.

I think I spent more on this game than I did on Christmas. May be time for a reality check.

GO STILLERS!

prisoner6

[martin_fierro]

Oh, GREAT.

The first photo I see of you, and it has to be in a skirt. UNNNGH.

< |:)~

Gotta balance it off with a photo of Terminal Stare.

I remember WSHH when it used to be the Muzak station. What format is it now?

[prisoner6]

It's a KILT!...in fact an AMERIKILT. Made in Philadelphia, which is kinda like being American made....sorta....almost.

There's also Pittsburghkilts which is made here in Pgh BUT the guy that runs it is a freelance IP kinda guy and tied up on a project so he hasn't benn able to take any orders. Sad because he has a real kewl black and gold camo version...

Terminal Stare was/is still THE HOTZ! I ofter work with Chilly Billy. Right before that pictures was taken of me and Cynthia...sigh...I likes her. Right before that pic I was trying to help Chilly figure out why Cool Edit wasn't working on the computer in the WJAS air studio.

WSHH was way better when it was Muzak kinda stuff. Now it's all wimmin music. Delilah and John Tesh syndicated evenings and overnights. Music wise we're pretty much a soft A/C...reading off my log now we have Donie Gray, Faith Hill, Rod Stewart, Tim McGraw, George Benson, Lonestar and Foreigner.

I used to listen when it was Muzak...Now I never listen except when I'm here and I absolutely have to. Luckily I stay pretty much on the news side.

It's gonna be an interesting game tomorrow. I hope I can stay up to catch a bit of it but I'll probably have to get some sleep before I go to work at 11PM. Have to do overnight and then morning news on WJAS both MOnday and Tuesday.

BTW I wore the kilt to a Primanti's Thursday..also a rough local bar earlier in the day and ...SURVIVED!

prisoner6