a. reminding b. persuading c. researching 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's hair is an extension of his style: wild, instinctive and chaotic. ADVERTISEMENT The Steelers selected Polamalu with the 16th pick of the 2003 NFL draft, after trading up from the 27th pick with the Kansas City Chiefs. According to a press release, the shampoo company took out a $1 million insurance policy with the massive British reinsurer Lloyd's of London. Sign up for the Chiefs Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. It was all a really surprising journey for me. Apr 10 2015 Retired from Professional Football. (The prospect of finding one of those long curly strands in my soup is enough to keep it all in the package.) The Steelers lost on the first play of overtime after Tim Tebow threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas. Personal or gift use only. She's worked at PEOPLE for over seven years as a writer, reporter and editor across our Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams, covering everything from the Super Bowl to the Met Gala. [81] He sustained a sprained MCL injury to his left knee and missed the next four games (Weeks 25). [8] Polamalu is of American Samoan descent. [37] The following week, he made a season-high 11 combined tackles, as the Steelers lost 1330 to the Baltimore Ravens. "I think when you run into somebody like Patrick who has all the success that any NFL player could have, you probably wouldn't even know that he was an NFL quarterback he's so down to earth and humble," he adds. In addition, his eyes are brown and his hair is black. Getty ImagesLong before Troy Polamalu's hair hit the NFL, Carlos Valderrama's 'do was the most famous in football.If you've seen a Pittsburgh Steelers game during the past seven years (or a recent . Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Watch as these veterans take turns cutting Troy Polamalu's hair. Ahead of him being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the next few weeks, former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu has been busy shooting a . Sign up for the Chiefs Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. He finished his junior campaign with a team-high 118 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, one sack, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three blocked punts, and two touchdowns. Troy Polamalu is not only an outstanding player -- he also possesses outstanding hair, at least in the opinion of Head and Shoulders, which has previously run advertisements with the Steelers safety. You can connect with Troy Polamalu on Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. Laid strand by strand, end to end, it would span 100 football fields. [132] He finished the season with 69 combined tackles (50 solo), 11 pass deflections, two interceptions, and a sack in 16 games and 16 starts. Head & Shoulders For Men TV Spot, 'Hair Transplant' Feat. Considered a "premier safety of his era" and known for his "range, explosiveness, and impact on the field,"[2] Polamalu is credited with playing a key role in the Steelers success during the 2000s. The company debuted its newest commercial between the two, with. [17], In the last game of his college career in the Orange Bowl, Polamalu injured his knee in pre-game warm-ups and had very limited action in the game that day. [11] His father left the family soon after Polamalu was born. [138] In the 3017 loss, he had eight combined tackles and one quarterback hit in his final career game.[139]. The two both sport iconic hairstyles and also iconic play on the football field, which makes them the perfect ambassadors for the Head & Shoulders brand. Not only are they having fun starring in the shampoo commercials with Head & Shoulders' newest ad spot out today Mahomes and Polamalu are also celebrating the many milestones they've achieved over the past year. "I owe a lot of credit to my uncle for that, among other things." "It's great to work with him.". [106], On September 10, 2011, the Steelers signed Polamalu to a four-year, $36.4 million contract extension that included $10.55 million guaranteed. On April 10, 2015, Polamalu announced his retirement from professional football citing his family as the main reason. [159] In August 2010, P&G paid for a million-dollar insurance policy from Lloyd's of London for Polamalu's hair,[160] claiming the Guinness World Record for the "highest insured hair". He's worked at PEOPLE's Los Angeles Bureau as a writer and reporter since 2017 and has interviewed the likes of Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brady. He made the Sign of the Cross after every play. If Polamalu can win a few more Super Bowls, maybe Ill get in touch with historical hair broker Louis Mushro. He and former Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne were the only two finalists for 2020 to be nominated in their first year of eligibility. [32] The following week, he made his first career tackle and finished with two solo tackles during a 2041 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. [13] Concerned about the negative influences in nearby Los Angeles, Polamalu's mother sent him to Oregon to live with his uncle, aunt, and cousins when he was nine years old. [70] He earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his game against the Browns. [45] The Steelers were eliminated the following week after losing 41-27 in the AFC Championship to the eventual Super Bowl XXXIX Champions, the New England Patriots. Taken with the 16th overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft out of USC, Polamalu's frenetic style and preternatural instincts allowed him to thrive in Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's. A two-time All-American out of the University of Southern California, Polamalu was drafted in the first round, 16th player overall, of the 2003 National Football League Draft. Check it out: Were back and were #NeverNotWorking. Today, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu got to see his wax figure unveiled at Madame Tussauds in New York City. [30], On July 29, 2003, Polamalu arrived at training camp after missing the start of it due to a hamstring injury and competed with veteran Mike Logan in training camp for the vacant starting strong safety job left by Lee Flowers.[31]. Letting his hair grow as a tribute to his Samoan heritage, his main was famously targeted at the 2006 Super Bowl, when Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson tackled Polamalu and visibly pulled his hair during an interception, per ESPN. He has a B.A. [164], In 2005, Pittsburgh-area band Mr. Devious wrote and recorded the novelty song "Puhlahmahlu", a parody of the song "Mah N Mah N". Polamalu also claimed that he shampooed and conditioned his hair every other day during the regular season, but tones it down to once a week during the offseason. Polamalu sustained an ankle injury during the play, but stayed in the game, made another interception, and helped the Steelers defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 237. Yep, that's right. Polamalu was born as Troy Aumua Polamalu on April 19, 1981, in Garden Grove, California. [111] On January 8, 2012, the Steelers faced the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wild Card Round and Polamalu made four combined tackles in their 29-23 overtime loss. "If not, I'm going to have to take this goatee thing what I've got going. On October 31, 2005, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles in a 2019 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. "I would, 100 percent," he says. [77] On January 18, 2009, Polamalu made four combined tackles, deflected two passes, and intercepted a pass by Joe Flacco and returned it for a 40-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Steelers' 2314 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship. [71] During a Week 3 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles, Polamalu made five solo tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted a pass attempt by Donovan McNabb during a 156 loss. As Mahomes says, he'll take the crown over any of his teammates when it comes to who has the best hair. And, he also appeared in a commercial. [150], Polamalu's uncle, Kennedy Polamalu, is currently the Las Vegas Raiders running backs coach. [25], Polamalu was projected to be a late-first or early-second-round pick by the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts. Polamalu remains undecided about his future . [24], The Pittsburgh Steelers initially had a verbal agreement with Dexter Jackson, who was the reigning Super Bowl MVP with the 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After sitting out a game, he returned against #22 Washington and recorded five tackles and returned an interception 33 yards. The hard-hitting Steelers safety is the engine of the. [35] The Steelers received a playoff berth after finishing second in their division with a 124 record. Hey Troy, great commercial. In the CBS Playoffs Pre-game Show, Polamalu said the last time he had gotten a haircut was in 2000 at USC[152] when a coach told him he needed one. That's why they were the perfect pair to star in Head & Shoulders' new Take It Up to 100 campaign and they couldn't have had more fun doing it. Published July 31, 2012 Advertiser Head & Shoulders Advertiser Profiles Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Products [115], Polamalu suffered a strain calf in a practice prior to the Steelers' season-opener against the Denver Broncos. 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. Troy Polamalu signed a 2 year, $11,750,000 contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, including a $6,750,000 signing bonus, $6,750,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $5,875,000. [7] His mother is Suila Polamalu. Polamalu's hair was a frequent conversation among Steelers fans since he broke into the NFL in 2003 as first round pick out of USC. [92][93] In Week 14, Polamalu collected two solo tackles, deflected two passes, and intercepted a pass attempt by Carson Palmer that was intended for Terrell Owens and returned it for a 45-yard touchdown. [156], Polamalu is well read in the history and theology of early Christianity, which ultimately led both him and his wife to convert to Orthodox Christianity in 2007. Troy Polamalu of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers endorses Head and Shoulders shampoo. [122] The following week, he recorded three combined tackles, deflected two passes, and made the only interception of the season in a 2410 win against the Cleveland Browns. He was chosen by the Steelers in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. [73] On December 7, 2008, Polamalu recorded a season-high nine combined tackles, deflected a pass, and had his seventh interception of the season off of a pass attempt by Dallas Cowboys' quarterback Tony Romo during a 2013 victory. Polamalu is renowned for his luscious locks that flowed from underneath his helmet on the field. [166] Two Coke "brand managers" take the Coke Zero bottle away right when the kid is to give it to Polamalu, with Polamalu subsequently tackling one of the managers. He's one of. On defense, he made 65 tackles and had eight interceptions. Although tackling a player by his hair is legal and does not alone constitute unnecessary roughness,[158] Johnson was penalized for rising to his feet while retaining grasp of Polamalu's hair (pulling him up in the process). [3][4][5][6], Polamalu was born in Garden Grove, California. By using iSpot.tv, you accept our, Head & Shoulders TV Spot, 'Living Flake-Free' Featuring Troy Polamalu, Head & Shoulders For Men TV Spot, 'Hair Transplant' Feat. The one big thing that Polamalu can also claim to is having his own hair commercial. Polamalu won USC's MVP award and was voted a first-team All-American by Football Writers and College and Pro Football News Weekly. [88], In a Sports Illustrated survey held in 2010 of 296 active NFL players, Polamalu was ranked the 9th "dirtiest player" in the NFL. [23] On March 12, 2003, Polamalu participated at USC's pro day, along with Carson Palmer, Justin Fargas, Kareem Kelly, Sultan McCullough, Malaefou MacKenzie, and others. Mar 5 2014 Signed a 2 year $11.75 restructured extension with Pittsburgh (PIT) Sep 10 2011 Signed a 3 year $29.6 million extension with Pittsburgh (PIT) Jul 23 2007 Signed a 5 year $33 million extension with Pittsburgh (PIT) Jul 28 2003 Signed a 5 year $12.107 million contract with Pittsburgh (PIT) [133] He was ranked 61st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame DB Troy Polamalu linked up again for yet another Head & Shoulders advertisement. These to may have never got the chance to go head-to-head on the gridiron, but theyre getting a chance to go head-to-head in another way now.