Troy Polamalu kept his long flowing hair tied up Saturday night, but not for long. When he ultimately let it down, he took the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony along with it.
With thousands of Pittsburgh Steelers fans cheering loudly while hanging on his every word, Polamalu spoke passionately about humility and sacrifice during an enshrinement speech that stole the show on a night when a dozen new members were welcomed to the Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 centennial class.
Polamalu joined his former coach, Bill Cowher, and another super safety, Donnie Shell, in the contingent of Steelers representatives honored at Tom Benson Stadium. Former Pitt offensive lineman Jimbo Covert, of Freedom High School, also was inducted.
His attendance in question until Saturday because of a positive covid test a week earlier, Polamalu clearly was the favorite among the pro-Steelers fans that made the two-hour drive from Pittsburgh to attend the ceremony.
Wearing a pink mask when he received his gold jacket before the ceremony, Polamalu showed support for his Samoan heritage by sporting a red lei when he walked on the stage to unveil his bust along with presenter Dick LeBeau.
He also spoke about his heritage.
— “I come from a culture where discipline, humility and respect are not only the foundation of our survival, but the key to our existence,” Polamalu said.
“I am a first-generation American Samoan, and I’m proudly representing my family’s lineage to America and to the NFL.”
The applause was so great for Polamalu that he paused for a moment to take it in. Then he threw his arms in the air in a plea for more. Steeler Nation obliged.
Tears welled in Polamalu’s eyes as he spoke into the microphone.
“I love football,” he said. “It was my entire life since as long as I could remember.”
Polamalu surely became the first Hall of Fame inductee to cite Charles Dickens and Beethoven in his induction speech. He said such artists influenced his life from a young age.
“These great men were known to have a beast-like work ethic,” he said, “coupled with an unwavering ability to create until perfection beyond what most believed the human body would allow.”
Polamalu credited Cowher with teaching his players to “embody the yinzer spirit of hard work, humility and toughness coupled with loyalty so we could accurately represent the city of Pittsburgh.”
He called playing for the Steelers a “brotherhood that is deeper than money, business and winning.”
“When wearing the black-and-gold suit of armor, make sure nobody desecrates it, disrespects it and most importantly, we ourselves don’t dishonor it,” he said.
He said the highest approval should be sought from the franchise’s “previous legends.”
“If you really earned their respect,” Polamalu said, “they’ll say, ‘You could have played with us.’”
