Jim Wexell for Herald Standard reported Thursday night that Pittsburgh Steelers’ safety Troy Polamalu announced his retirement from NFL football after 12 seasons. Wexell reported that Polamalu called Steelers owner Dan Rooney Wednesday night to let the team know. Polamalu had wrestled with whether or not to retire since February, but never considered playing anywhere other than in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ Troy Polamalu Retires From NFL Football

Turning 34 on April 19th, Polamalu was an eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro in 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2011. Notably, in two of those first-team All-Pro seasons, the Steelers won the Super Bowl. Polamalu was the 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Polamalu played in 158 regular-season games (starting 142 games), 15 playoff games and three Super Bowls. Wexler noted that in those games, Polamalu made 710 tackles, intercepted 35 passes, forced 13 fumbles, recovered seven fumbles and scored four touchdowns.

Steelers Traded Up to Draft Polamalu

Polamalu was drafted 16th in the first round in 2003 out of the University of Southern California. The Steelers, who are not known to trade up in the draft, moved from 27th to 16th after trading 3rd and 6th round picks to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Known for his distinctive style of play, Polamalu had a rare combination of physicality, speed and football instincts. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau allowed Polamalu to freelance defensively and line-up nearly anywhere on the field. Polamalu was also know for timing offensive snaps so quickly that he could disrupt the quarterback by either jumping the offensive line or coming around the edge. Polamalu was also known for making spectacular plays when the game was on the line.

Unfortunately, Polamalu’s style of play became less effective as he lost speed due to age and injuries. In 2014, Polamalu played only 12 games and did not intercept a pass or record a sack for only the second time in his career. Notably, the Steelers were 30th against the pass in 2014.

Polamalu is Destined for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Polamalu seems destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and possibly on the first-ballot. Even from a franchise with great players, Polamalu was one of the greatest Steeler players of all time. Polamalu with his familiar number 43 and flowing hair will be missed by Steeler fans and NFL fans alike.