Troy Polamalu

At 43 years old, Troy Polamalu has this physical status:

Troy Aumua Polamalu (born Troy Aumua, 1981) is a retired American football strong safety who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League for the entire 12 years. (NFL)

He played for college football for the University of Southern California (USC) and received consensus All-American honors.

In the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected him.

He was a member of two of the Steelers' Super Bowl championship teams and named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2010.

Polamalu is an eight-time Pro-Bowler and a six-time All-Pro pick.

He served as the Head of Player Relations for the Alliance of American Football.

Early years

Polamalu was born in Garden Grove, California. Suila Polamalu's mother is Suila Polamalu. Polamalu is of American Samoan descent. He is the youngest of five children. His father died soon after Polamalu was born. Polamalu spent his early years in Santa Ana, California. Polamalu spent three weeks in Tenmile, Oregon, with his aunt and uncle; afterward, he begged his mother to keep him in Oregon. When he was nine years old, worried about the negative effects in nearby Los Angeles, Polamalu's mother took him to Oregon to live with his uncle (Salu Polamalu), his aunt's uncle, and his cousins. Polamalu has claimed that his uncle is "a disciplinarian and kept me straight."

Polamalu graduated from Douglas High School in Winston, Oregon. He played high school football while he was a student at the University of On the other hand, he played high school football. Following his junior season, Polamalu was named to the All-State first team and the All-Far West League Most Valuable Player for Douglas High, which set a new record. He ran for 1,040 yards with 22 touchdowns and 310 receiving yards. He made 65 tackles and had eight interceptions on defense, with eight interceptions. Despite playing in only four games during his senior season due to injury, he was named to the 1998 Super Prep All-Northwest team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, and the All-Far West League second team. Polamalu rushed for 671 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions as a two-way player.

Polamalu also played high school baseball and basketball, where he has received all-state and all-league awards.

Personal life

Aumua was born to Polamalu's surname at birth. In 2007, he petitioned to change his legal name to his mother's maiden name of Polamalu. He had already been using Polamalu for the past 15 years.

Surfing, growing flowers, making furniture, and playing the piano are among Polamalu's favorite pastimes.

Polamalu said in 2009 that he attempted to separate himself from his work as much as possible and did not watch football games at home. He lived with his family in Pittsburgh during the football season and then in San Diego, California, during the off-season.

Polamalu spent his time away from the field to return to the University of Southern California to complete his college education during the 2011 NFL lockout. He graduated from USC with a bachelor's degree in history on May 13, 2011. "I decided to finish what I started and walked on today not only because it was important to me personally, but because I wanted to stress the importance of education and that nothing should supersede it." Ben Roethlisberger continued to do well in Polamalu's footsteps over the years and finished his degree as well.

Kennedy Polamalu's uncle, Kennedy Polamalu, is now the Las Vegas Raiders' running backs coach. For five years, he was the Jacksonville Jaguars' running backs coach, as well as UCLA's offensive coordinator. Aoatoa Polamalu, uncle, played nose tackle at Penn State from 1984 to 1988. Cousin Joe Polamalu played linebacker for Oregon State University, cousin Maika Polamalu played fullback for the University of Oregon, and cousin Leie Sualua played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Despite Polamalu's hard-hitting style on the gridiron, he became known off the field as a soft-spoken family man. Polamalu married Theodora Holmes and has two children: Paisios, born on October 31, 2008, and Ephraim, 2010, born September 16, 2010. Theodora is the sister of NFL player and USC Trojans alumnus Alex Holmes. The Harry Panos Fund was established by Polamalu and his partner, Theodora, to honor Theodora's grandfather, who served in World War II.

Polamalu is well versed in early Christianity's past and theology, which eventually led to conversion to Orthodox Christianity for both him and his wife in 2007. After every performance, he made the Sign of the Cross. Among his spiritual pursuits was a 2007 pilgrimage to Orthodox Christian churches in Greece and Turkey. He seldom speaks out, but if he does, he often speaks about the place his spirituality plays in his life. He prayed after every play and prayed on the sidelines during his NFL career. Both his sons are named after Orthodox Christian saints, Saint Paisios the Great of Egypt and Saint Ephraim the Syrian.

Polamalu's hair is one of his most notable features, allowing him to be identified on the field more easily. Polamalu said the last time he had gotten a haircut was in 2000 at Washington, when a coach told him he needed one. Polamalu's most recent haircut was seven or eight years ago, according to Mike and Mike in the Morning on November 9, 2010.

Larry Johnson, the Chiefs' running back, fought Polamalu down by the hair in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 15, 2006. Although tackling a player by his hair is legal and does not alone result in unnecessary roughness, Johnson was fined for getting to his feet while still retaining a grasp of Polamalu's hair (pulling him up in the process).

Polamalu has a shampoo contract with Head & Shoulders Shampoo and has appeared in five commercials for the product. He had rejected a new deal to promote Head & Shoulders and instead signed a five-year deal with Suave to promote their "Action Series" on April 1, 2013. P&G paid for a million-dollar insurance policy for Polamalu's hair in August 2010, winning the Guinness World Record for the "most covered hair."

Polamalu is an investor in Arenda Capital, which is described as a multi-family business that pulls together the assets of four families and monitors their spending and investments. Any significant purchases or investments must be approved by all members of the office. Arenda Capital makes investments in real estate and shares the income of all of the company's partners. In 2010, Polamalu joined Arenda Capital.

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College career

Polamalu earned an athletic scholarship to attend USC and played for the USC Trojans football team from 1999 to 2002. "I believe God selected me Troy for a reason," he said (Troy was the Trojans' ancient capital). "I was meant to come here."

Polamalu began his college career in 1999 as a true freshman, playing backup at safety and linebacker, as well as serving on special teams. He had 12 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles while playing in eight games. He displayed his versatility on special teams against Louisiana Tech, blocking a punt. When he sustained a concussion at practice, his freshman season was cut short. For four games, he was sidelined by injuries.

Polamalu's career began in 2000 with the 2000 season. He began his season against Penn State and had only two tackles, but made an interception for a 43-yard touchdown. He made five tackles and recovered a fumble that resulted in a Trojan touchdown while playing against Colorado. He added five tackles to his game and also sacked Oregon State's quarterback. He ended the game with 13 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and one interceptor during a game against Oregon. He made 11 tackles in the game against Stanford later in the game. He set a record-high against Arizona State and tied the record against Notre Dame for 14 tackles. This was his first year with all 12 games at good safety, and he ended 2000 with 83 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, one interception, and one touchdown.

He had the best year of his college career in 2001. He began the season as the team's captain, and in the season's opener against San Jose State, he had seven tackles and one tackle. He had a game-high 13 tackles, three tackles for a loss, and one made the fumble against Kansas State. Polamalu maintained his dominance against Stanford, with one tackle for a loss and his first blocked punt of the season. He had a game-high 13 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and an interception that resulted in a 22-yard touchdown in his next game against Washington. Polamalu had the most tackles in each game for the next four games. In the season where he led both teams in tackles, he had a streak of six games in a row and eight total. He finished with 11 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one blocked punt that USC recovered against Oregon State. He stopped playing in California for four tackles, but for a game-deciding play with an interceptions that resulted in a 58-yard touchdown. The Trojans face UCLA next week. Polamalu had two tackles, but made significant plays when he blocked a punt and made an interception that set up the USC's top field goals. He was named the week's best defensive player of the week by the University of PAC-10. The Las Vegas Bowl went to Utah and Polamalu's career-high 20 tackles were thrown, as well as three tackles for a loss. He finished his junior year with a record-breaking 118 tackles, 13 tackles, one sack, three interceptions, two tackled footballs, two forced fumbles, one blocked punt, and two touchdowns. Polamalu was named as a first-team All-American by Football Writers and College and Pro Football News Weekly, earning him the highest honor award in the United States and was named a first-team All-American. He was named second-team All-American by the Associated Press in 2012.

Polamalu's last season was his best play debut. He started the 2002 season with seven tackles and one tackle for a loss in a win over Auburn after being named team captain for the second year in a row. In the second game, the Trojans faced #18 Colorado, and Polamalu had a team-high 11 tackles. He was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week after his role in the 40-3 victory over Colorado. On the first defensive series against #17 Washington State, he suffered his ankle in the fifth game of the season. He returned against #22 Washington and scored five tackles, while returning an interception 33 yards after sitting out a game. Polamalu has since disrupted Stanford for the third year in a row, with a season-high 13 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and one sack. He appeared in his last college game against #3 Iowa in the Orange Bowl. For the bulk of the game, he was sidelined due to a hamstring injury. Polamalu's senior season ended with 68 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, three sacks, one intercept, and three tackles for a loss, all in a sense, with one intercepting, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles. Walter Camp, the Associated Press, Football Writers, ESPN.com, and Walter Camp named him the first Trojan to be a second-team All-American since Tony Boselli in 1992.

Polamalu's career ended with 278 tackles, 29 tackles for a loss, six interceptions, four blocked punts, and three touchdowns.

Professional career

Polamalu suffered his knee in pre-game warm-ups and saw little action in the game that day in his last game of his college career in the Orange Bowl. Polamalu's injury has also caused him to miss the Senior Bowl and the 2003 NFL Combine. Polamalu, along with Carson Palmer, Justin Fargas, Kareem Kelly, Sultan McCullough, Malaefou MacKenzie, and others, attended the USC's pro day on March 12, 2003. He undertook the three-cone drill (6.75), short shuttle (4.37), and a 40-yard dash (4.33) for NFL team representatives and scouts.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' Dexter Jackson, the reigning Super Bowl MVP with the 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was initially under verbal contract. With an understanding with Jackson, the Steelers concentrated on drafting a running back in the first round. Jackson signed with the Arizona Cardinals on March 12, 2003 after they added $2 million to their bid and raised his salary by $2.3 million in the first three years.

By the majority of NFL draft analysts and scouts, Polamalu was forecast to be either a late-first or early-second-round pick. By BLESTO and National Scouting Combines, he was rated as the top safest prospect in the industry. In the 2003 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected Polamalu in the first round (16th overall) (16th overall).

Rodney Harrison's injury was a big concern for the San Diego Chargers, who had the 15th overall pick, but they missed the opportunity to choose Polamalu by trading down and getting Sammy Davis and Terrence Kiel. The Steelers made the move to add Polamalu to their staff right away. The Steelers believed so much that Polamalu could have a positive influence on their defense that they traded from the 27th position to the 16th position, the Chiefs' originals. For the right to switch first-round picks, the Steelers gave up the 92nd and 200th overall picks. With the picks obtained from the trade, the Kansas City Chiefs continued to draft Larry Johnson, Julian Battle, and Brooks Bollinger (the Bollinger pick was later traded to the Jets in the same draft). He has the distinction of being one of only two safeties ever drafted by the Steelers in the first round of an NFL Draft; the other being Terrell Edmunds in 2018.

The Steelers signed Polamalu on July 28, 2003, after a brief hold out to a five-year, $12.10 million contract.

Polamalu returned to training camp on July 29, 2003, after missing the start of the program due to a hamstring injury, and competing with veteran Mike Logan in training camp for Lee Flowers' vacant starting strong safety job.

In the Steelers' season-opening 34–15 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, Polamalu made his first appearance in the Steelers' season-opening 34–15 win. During a 20-41 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, he made his first tackle of his career and finished with two solo tackles. In a 20-24 loss on Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna on November 30, 2003, he had four total tackles and his first day bang on him. In a 13–6 victory over the Cleveland Browns on December 23, 2003, Polamalu posted a season-high six combined tackles. In 16 games and zero starts, he played in his rookie season in 2003, with 38 total tackles (30 solo) and four passes defensed. He was the back-up strong security throughout the season and played mainly on special teams and in dime packages. Tim Lewis, the defensive coordinator, was fired after the 2003 season.

Bill Cowher called Polamalu the starting strong defense over Mike Logan to start the 2004 season and his first appearance in the Steelers' season-opener against the Oakland Browners. In their 24-21 victory, he made seven combined tackles. As the Steelers lost 13–30 to the Baltimore Ravens this week, he made a season-high 11 combined tackles. Polamalu's first career interception came from A. J. Feeley's pass on September 26, 2004, a 13-3-2 victory over the Miami Dolphins. During the Steelers' 28-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, he made six combined tackles, two pass deflections, intercepted a pass attempt by Carson Palmer, intercepted a pass attempt, and returned it for a 26-yard touchdown. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week by Week 10 against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10. Polamalu's rookie season under new defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau ended with a career-high 96 combined tackles (67 solo), ten pass deflections, five interceptions, and one touchdown in 16 games and 16 starts. For the first time, he was voted to the 2005 Pro Bowl.

With a 15-1 record, the Steelers came in first in AFC North. Polamalu's first career playoff game, deflected a pass, and intercepted New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington during the Steelers' 20-17 victory in the AFC Divisional Round on January 15, 2005. The Steelers were cut out of the AFC Championship after losing 27–41 to the eventual Super Bowl XXIX Champions, the New England Patriots, this week.

In 2005, he returned to action in 2005 as the Steelers' season-opener against the Tennessee Titans. During the 34–7 victory, Polamalu had three solo tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted Steve McNair. During a 27-7 victory, Polamalu had six solo tackles and suspended Houston Texans quarterback David Carr three times. He set a new NFL record for the most sacks by a safety in a single game. In a 20–19 win over the Baltimore Ravens on October 31, 2005, he had a season-high ten combined tackles. After finishing second in the AFC North with an 11–5 record, the Steelers earned a playoff spot. In 16 games and 16 starts, Polamalu finished the 2005 season with 91 total tackles (73 solo), six pass deflections, and two interceptions. The 2006 Pro Bowl was his second straight Pro Bowl appearance. In addition, he was selected as a member of First Team All-Pro.

In a 31–17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC wild card game, Polamalu made six combined tackles and intercepted a pass on January 8, 2006. In the Steelers' 21–10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, he began in his first Super Bowl and total tackles.

Polamalu's season-opener against the Miami Dolphins was a season-high ten combined tackles, protected two passes, and stopped a pass attempt by Joey Harrington in the Steelers' 28–17 victory. During a 45–7 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on October 15, 2006, he recorded a season-high three pass deflections, as well as a return an interception for 49 yards. For his game against the Chiefs, he was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. He missed Weeks 13–15 due to a shoulder injury. Polamalu finished the 2006 season with 76 combined tackles (57 solo), seven pass deflections, and three interceptions in 13 games and 13 starts. He was elected to his third straight Pro Bowl and he began the 2007 Pro Bowl with a solid security.

The Steelers signed Polamalu to a four-year contract extension worth $30.19 million with $30.37 million as a guarantee on July 23, 2007. The deal made him the highest paid security in the league, but Bob Sanders took the lead on December 28, 2007, when he was signed to a five-year, $37.5 million deal with $20 million in guarantees.

"I don't want to be a player who is going from team to team," Polamalu wrote in an ESPN.com article. Polamalu had consistently stated his intention to remain with the Steelers.

With new head coach Mike Tomlin, he maintained his good start. The Steelers defeated the San Francisco 49ers 37–16 on September 23, 2007, with eight combined tackles and a pass deflection. Due to an abdominal injury, he was unable to participate in a Week 5 match against the Seattle Seahawks. In a 22-29 loss, he had a season-high ten combined tackles and a pass deflection. Polamalu's season was marred by injury, and he missed Weeks 12-14 with a strained knee. He had 58 combined tackles (45 solo) and nine pass deflections in 12 games and 11 starts during the 2007 season.

Despite receiving no interceptions and only playing in 11 games during the 2007 season, Polamalu was named a reserve to the 2008 Pro Bowl.

Polamalu suffered a hamstring injury during his offseason workout and missed the entire 2008 training camp. During the 38–17 win, he began the Steelers' season-opener against the Houston Texans, collected three solo tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted Matt Schaub's pass attempt. As the Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 10–6, he had his second straight interception and four solo tackles. For his game against the Browns, he was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Polamalu made five solo tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted a pass attempt by Donovan McNabb during a 15-0 loss during a Week 3 match against the Philadelphia Eagles. This was his third straight game with an interception. In an 11–10 victory, he finished with three solo tackles, denied a pass, and intercepted a pass by San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. After the game, a fumbled touchdown was returned for at the end of the game, the officials found that San Diego had made an unlawful forward pass, but head referee Scott Green said after the game that the touchdown should have been counted. Polamalu's quarterback, Tony Romo, had a season-high nine combined tackles, deflected a pass, and had his seventh interception of the season on the season after a 20-13 victory. This was his fourth straight game with an interception. He finished the season with 73 combined tackles (54 solo), a career-high 17 pass deflections, and a career-high seven interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts. After being given a unanimous vote by five experts, Polamalu was named to the 2009 Pro Bowl as the AFC's highest safety. He received his second All-Pro accolade for his second time.

With a 12–4 record, the Steelers came in first in the AFC North. In the fourth quarter of the Steelers' 23–14 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship, Polamalu made four combined tackles, deflected two passes, intercepted a pass by Joe Flacco, intercepted a pass by Joe Flacco and returned it for a 40-yard touchdown. He continued to play in Super Bowl XLIII and was instrumental in two tackles in the Steelers' victory over the Arizona Cardinals, 27–23.

It was announced on April 24, 2009 that Polamalu would be featured on the front page of Madden NFL 2010, alongside Super Bowl XLIII and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

Polamalu made six tackles on a pass attempt by Kerry Collins and made a one handed interception before being hurt while trying to retrieve a blocked field goal. He sustained a strained MCL injury in his left knee and missed the next four games (Weeks 2–5). Polamalu returned in Week 6 for four combined tackles, defended a pass, and made an interception during a 27-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns. In the first quarter of a 12–18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, he resurgent his left knee. He missed the remainder of the 2009 season, but Polamalu said, "If I would have hurt it again," the doctor said, "most likely it would be a career-ending injury." "I had to face it." In only five games and five starts, Polamalu finished the season with 20 combined tackles (18 solo), seven pass deflections, and three interceptions.

In 2008, the Steelers played Tyrone Carter in Polamalu's absence, and its defense dropped from first in points allowed (2,511) and passing yards allowed (2,511) to 12th in passing yards (3,447). For the first time under head coach Mike Tomlin, they ended with a 9–7 record and did not qualify for the playoffs. In the 2000s, he was selected to the Second Team Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Decade Team.

Polamalu was ranked the 9th "dirtiest player" in the NFL in a Sports Illustrated poll conducted in 2010.

Polamalu's season-opener against the Atlanta Falcons included five tackles, defended a pass, and made a game-saving interception off a pass attempt by Matt Ryan with 1:45 minutes remaining. He brought the game to overtime, where the Steelers defeated the Steelers 15-19. As the Steelers defeated the Browns in Week 6, he had a season-high seven combined tackles. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week by Week 13 against the Baltimore Ravens. In Week 14, Polamalu's two solo tackles, deflected two passes, and intercepted a pass attempt by Carson Palmer that was supposed for Terrell Owens and returned it for a 45-yard touchdown. Polamalu suffered an ankle injury early in the game, but he stayed in the game, made another tackle, and helped the Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23–7. For his game against the Bengals, he was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Due to the ankle injury, he was ruled out of the next two games. With a 12-4 record and ascended to first in the NFL for points allowed (232), the Steelers finished first in AFC North with a 12–4 record and ascended to first in the NFL for points allowed (232), but finishing third in passing yards (3,425). Polamalu finished the 2010 season with 63 combined tackles (42 solo), 11 pass interceptions, one sack, and one touchdown in 14 games and 14 starts. He made a bid for the 2011 Pro Bowl, his sixth appearance in his career. For the third time, he received First Team All-Pro accolades.

The Steelers went to Super Bowl XLV to face the Green Bay Packers after defeating the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets. In his third Super Bowl appearance, he had three solo tackles, but the Steelers were defeated by the Packers 25–31. He was ranked sixth by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.

After receiving 17 votes for fellow USC Trojan and Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, who received 15 votes, Polamalu was named AP Defensive Player of the Year on January 31, 2011. He also received the NFL Alumni of the Year award. Aqib Talib of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers received the award for Defensive Back of the Year.

The Steelers signed Polamalu to a four-year, $36.4 million contract extension, with a minimum of $10.55 million.

During a 10–17 loss to the Houston Texans on October 2, 2011, Polamalu had a season-high nine combined tackles. In a 14-3 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 14, he finished eight tackles, defense two plays, and made his first interception of the 2011 season. For his appearance against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, he was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. He finished the season with 91 combined tackles (64 solo), 14 pass deflections, and one intercept in 16 games and 16 starts. After finishing second in their division with a 12–4 record, the Steelers earned a playoff spot. In the AFC Wild Card Round's AFC Wild Card Round match against the Denver Broncos on January 8, 2012, the Steelers defeated the Denver Broncos for four straight tackles in their 23–29 overtime loss. After Tim Tebow threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime, the Steelers lost on the first play of overtime.

He was named on the First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl. He ranked 19th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.

Polamalu suffered a strain calf in a workout prior to the Steelers' season-opener against the Denver Broncos. In their 19–31 loss, he started the game and made five solo tackles. He intensified the pain during the game and left after putting his calf muscle to the test. In a 16–14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on October 7, 2012, Polamalu returned and scored two solo tackles. In the second quarter, he limped off the field and was unable to return. Polamalu skipped the next six games (Weeks 6-12), but stayed on the active roster. Multiple sources disagreed on whether it was a calf strain or a calf tear, but several media sources cited it as a severe strain. When the Steelers lost 10-13, Polamalu made a season-high eight combined tackles, protested a pass, and saw his first dismissal of the season on Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton on December 23, 2012. In a 24–10 victory over the Cleveland Browns, he had three combined tackles, deflected two passes, and made his first interception of the season. Polamalu finished the 2012 season with 34 combined tackles (29 solo), three pass deflections, one fired, one suspended, and one intercept in seven games and seven starts. He was ranked 91st by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.

Safety was one of the Steelers' top priorities when entering the draft, as Polamalu was approaching the end of his career and had an injury-riddled season in 2012. In the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected Shamarko Thomas to potentially be Polamalu's replacement.

In their 9–16 loss, Polamalu started the Steelers' season-opener against the Tennessee Titans, with six combined tackles and a sack. In a 10-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Polamalu recorded a season-high nine combined tackles and defended a pass. In an 18–21 loss to the Oakland Panthers, he recorded three solo tackles, defended two passes, a sack, and intercepted a pass attempt by Terrelle Pryor. Polamalu's Week 12 was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his play against the Cleveland Browns. Polamalu's 28-34 loss on Week 14 was one tackle and returned an interception off Ryan Tannehill for a 19-yard touchdown. He had 69 total tackles (50 solo), 11 pass deflections, two interceptions, two interceptions, and a sack in 16 games and 16 starts on the season. He was selected to his final Pro Bowl appearance. On the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014, he was ranked 61st by his peers.

The Steelers agreed to a three-year contract extension on March 5, 2014. They also restructured his deal so he will only be charged against the salary cap in 2014 rather than the original $10.7 million cap number.

In the Steelers' season-opener against the Cleveland Browns, Polamalu had a season-high 11 combined tackles and defeated the Browns by 30–27. Since suffering a knee sprain, he skipped Weeks 10–11. In the Wild Card Round, the Steelers made the playoffs and met the Baltimore Ravens. In his last game, he had eight combined tackles and one quarterback hit in his 30–17 loss.

Polamalu's family was the primary reason for his retirement from professional football on April 10, 2015. It was reported that he was seriously planning to play in 2015, but the Steelers had to coerce Polamalu into retirement. Polamalu was approached by front office members and owner Dan Rooney in February 2015 and told him that if he did not resign, he would be released. He was invited by the Tennessee Titans to work with his long-serving defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau but ultimately decided against retirement after considering his options. He had 770 tackles, 32 interceptions, and three touchdowns in his 12-year career.

Polamalu was appointed Head of Player Relations for the Alliance of American Football in April 2018.

Polamalu was one of 15 modern-era finalists in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on January 2, 2020. In their first year of eligibility, he and former Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne were the only two finalists for 2020. Troy Polamalu was officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 1, 2020.

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