Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu has retired. Jim Wexell of SteelCityInsder.com broke the story late Thursday evening with an exclusive interview with the legendary Pittsburgh defensive back.
Polamalu, 33, will retire as one of the Steelers all-time greats. In 12 seasons, he started 158 games, made 581 tackles, and accounted for 39 takeaways as one of the unquestioned leaders of a Steelers defensive unit that won two Super Bowls and played in a third.
Troy cited his health – he only played in nine games last season while dealing with a knee injury – and his family as the major reasons that he decided to hang up the cleats.
“It’s all about family,” he said to 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.”
Troy and his wife Theodora are the parents of two sons, six-year old Paisios and four-year old Ephraim. The couple has made their home in the Pittsburgh area.
The Steelers front office had asked Polamalu to retire earlier in the offseason, likely due to salary cap concerns, but he took his time in deciding whether or not he had the desire to continue his career.
“I did not seriously consider playing elsewhere,” Polamalu said. “It was just whether or not I wanted to play.”
Photo credit: ESPN
