While paper is on the minds of many NFL players and recent draftees, Polamalu went after a different type of paper. He finished his degree at The University of Southern California (USC) and joined over a thousand others in commencement ceremonies on Friday. Polamalu received his bachelor’s degree in History.
He was selected as the sixteenth pick in the first round by the Steelers in 2003. He left before he was able to finish his degree, a move not uncommon with drafted players. He was a standout safety for USC. He was a 3-year starter and finished with 278 total tackles, 6 interceptions, 13 pass deflections, and 4 blocked punts. Out of the 278 tackles, a phenomenal 29 of them were behind the line of scrimmage.
Most people just know of Troy as the wild hair monster on the football field. I mean, the last time the guy had a haircut was in 2000 in USC when he coach got on his case that he needed one. Polamalu was actually born on Samoan descent and his original name was Troy Aumua. He petitioned in 2007 to change his legal name to his mother’s maiden name of Polamalu, but he had already been using that name for over fifteen years before that. Another thing that some might not know about Polamalu was that he actually has high level football in his blood. His uncle AoatoaPolamalu was a quick moving nose tackle at Penn State from 1984-1988. Remember the five year stretch that Jacksonville Jaguars ran over and beat the Steelers four out of the five times early in Troy’s career? That’s right, it was Troy’s uncle Kennedy Pola that was the Jags running back coach at that time. Mr. Pola now finds himself as the offensive coordinator at Polamalu’s alumni – USC. On a more personal note, Troy is married to his wife Theodora and has two boys – Ephraim and Paisios. Who knows, maybe they’ll be both on the 2030 Pittsburgh Steeler’s Superbowl championship team. Give me some stock in those young men!
As reported by Yahoo! Sports, Troy posted a blog on his website http://www.troy43.com that said:
“I'm thrilled to announce that on this cool, sunny Friday morning I donned a cap and gown, walked across the stage in the beautiful Alumni Park at University of Southern California, and was handed my diploma. I'm officially a USC graduate! While I feel excited and fulfilled, that's not really what I want to focus on in this message — I want to talk about the reason behind my decision to go back and finish what I started.
The majority of top picks in the NFL get drafted before they complete their college education. I truly love football and it's such an immense blessing and privilege as an athlete to be given the rare opportunity to use those talents at the highest professional level, but it's certainly not a replacement for an education. So I decided to finish what I started and walked that stage today not only because it was very important to me personally, but because I want to emphasize the importance of education, and that nothing should supersede it.”
Not only is Polamalu a superstar on the field, he obviously is one on the field as well. He is a big supporter of Operation Once in a Lifetime, which is a nonprofit setup to help United States soldiers and their families. He has also setup the Harry Panos fund, which he and his wife established in memory of his wife’s grandfather Harry Panos. Mr. Panos was a World War II veteran and served as an artilleryman in Okinawa and Saipan. Troy serves on the foundation’s Sports Outreach Advisory Committee. More information, or to donate to The Harry Panos Fund can be found at http://www.pittsburghfoundation.org/panos-fund.
One thing is for sure, we are proud that Polamalu lives in Pittsburgh and we love every time that wild hair flows across the jersey bearing the number 43 but hiding the last name. A true inspiration, Congratulations Troy!
Prepared by JC Coulter
G.R.I.N.D. – Get Ready It’s a New Day
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