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Multi-faceted USC safety Troy Polamalu on hands, hitting and hairPosted: Tuesday September 24, 2002 2:05 PM
For Pac-10 receivers, few sights are more intimidating than that of USC's No. 43, shocks of black hair sticking out from beneath his helmet in all directions, tearing across the field in their direction. With a team-high 18 tackles so far for the No. 18 Trojans, 5-foot-10, 215-pound senior strong safety Troy Polamalu is on track for a second consecutive All-America season. This Saturday USC faces undefeated Oregon State; last year against the Beavers the ubiquitous Polamalu made 11 tackles and had a key blocked punt in the Trojans' 16-13 victory. Kelley King: You're considered one of the top five defensive players in the nation now, yet you were recruited by virtually no one coming out of Douglas High in Tenmile, Ore. Is this Cinderella story true? Troy Polamalu: I was probably the least-recruited player in the history of USC! My uncle Kennedy, a former USC fullback who is now the special teams coach here, was an assistant at Washington when he called up [former USC coach Paul] Hackett and said, "Would you mind checking out my nephew?" When I came in as a freshman, I had a long way to go to earn the respect of everyone else. So I spoke as little as possible and hit as hard as I could. King: What's the hardest thing about having your uncle on the sidelines? Polamalu: The hardest thing to deal with is that the expectations he has of me are a little higher than of anyone else. But it's good -- I have high expectations for myself. Being family, he can slap me around a little if I screw up. At the same time, he can give me money if I need it. What other college player can get a few bucks from his coach without committing an NCAA violation? King: You've suffered four concussions, a result, some say, of your no-holds-barred tackling. Has one concussion ever been bad enough to make you think twice about your hitting style? Polamalu: Awww, the concussions weren't so bad. The worst one was one of my first tackles in my freshman year in high school -- one minute it was daylight, the next it was dark and I heard people calling for smelling salts. It's like that movie Memento, in which you completely lose a handle on time. The most recent concussion was right before the season. I think I have less protection now, because of my hair. When it was short it tucked neatly into my helmet like a little padding. Now that I've grown it out, it just flows loose outside my helmet. King: How do you tame that mane? Polamalu: Right now I'm using Pantene Pro-V Hydrating Curls, but I rotate every couple weeks with Suave. I take a comb with me in the shower so that I can brush out my hair after the conditioning phase. The guys will look at me in the locker room and say, "Excuse me, what are you doing?" King: What are some things that people might not know about your Samoan heritage? Polamalu: That our culture is based around God, and that our Christian beliefs are based on love. At the same time, if you mess with someone we love, we're not going to be happy. King: I understand woodworking is something that makes you pretty happy. Polamalu: It's a very spiritual and peaceful thing to do. I took it up during high school -- there's not much to do in Oregon, but there is a lot of wood around. The most special thing I've made is a hope chest that I hope to give to the woman I one day marry. King: What are the most important tools for a Division I safety? Polamalu: Honestly, the way to success in every aspect of life is faith. Faith and no fear. Sports Illustrated writer-reporter Kelley King covers college football for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. She will chat with a different player each Tuesday during the season.
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