As everyone knows, Pittsburgh Steelers great Troy Polamalu officially played his last game of pro football. Polamalu was an unbelievable playmaker on defense and was frequently described as possibly becoming the greatest safety ever.
It looked like he was an unstoppable force until he became victim to a curse, not just any curse, the “Madden Curse.”
Don’t believe me.
Just take a look at Polamalu’s career before and after his placement on the Madden cover.
Polamalu was drafted by the Steelers with the No.16 overall pick in the 2003 Draft. Polamalu didn’t start a game in his rookie season but played in all 16 games as a backup defensive back and a special teamer. He quickly made a name for himself by starting all 16 games in 2005 at the strong safety position and earned his first trip to the Pro-Bowl.
From 2003 to 2008, Polamalu played in 88 games for the Steelers and became the face of their dominant defense. During this time range Polamalu earned five trips to the Pro-Bowl and earned two selections to the All-Pro Team. Polamalu was recognized as being one of the most exciting and consistent defensive playmakers in the NFL. Even though he played with such intensity and reckless abandon he still managed to be one of the most durable players in the game by playing in at least 13 games for five out of his first six seasons.
After their exciting 2008 season and subsequent showdown in Super Bowl XLIII, Polamalu and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald were featured on the cover of Madden NFL 10. In Polamalu’s case it was directly in the middle of his 12 year career as it was right before the start of his seventh season in the league.
In the first season immediately following his appearance on the Madden cover, Polamalu sprained his MCL in the first half of the season opener. The injury sidelined him for four games. Upon his return he was able to play in three more games before succumbing to another knee injury that caused him to miss more games. In total Polamalu played in only five games and didn’t make the Pro-Bowl for the first time since his rookie season. Without their star defensive player the Steelers struggled to a 9-7 record and didn’t make the playoffs the year after winning the Super Bowl.
Polamalu did recover to probably have his best season in 2010, during which he won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, made the Pro-Bowl and was selected as an All-Pro. But the injury bug once again bit Polamalu. He suffered an ankle injury against the Bengals and missed the next two games as a result.
As the years went by Polamalu suffered injury after injury and slowed down as a result. In his last six seasons Polamalu played in 70 games and started 13 games or more in only three seasons. He still made two All-Pro Teams but was only elected to three Pro-Bowls.
The evidence is definitely there, Polamalu was another victim claimed by the “Madden Curse.” Had he not appeared on the cover who knows what the “Tasmanian Devil” would have accomplished?
Recently Steelers Pro-Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown was a finalist for the 2016 Madden cover. Some people were upset that he didn’t make the cover while others are thrilled.
Does the curse exist or is it just a myth?
Who knows but the facts are hard to argue against.
