Pittsburgh Steelers: Is Troy Polamalu The Best Safety In Team History?
By Harv Aronson
With Troy Polamalu safely in retirement mode, the Pittsburgh Steelers will wait for their next great safety to come along.
Is that player already on the team? Probably not.
Given the performance of Mike Mitchell in his debut season in Black and Gold in 2014, unless he makes a significant turnaround next season, he won’t be a star in the secondary.
Shamarko Thomas is penciled in to take over for #43, but has yet to show any signs that he can be an everyday starter and more importantly become a perennial Pro Bowler. Ross Ventrone has been a solid special teams player but a Troy Polamalu he is not.
That leaves Will Allen, Jordan Dangerfield, Alden Darby, Robert Golden, Isaiah Lewis, and Ian Wild as the other men occupying spots at safety on the current Steelers roster. Will Allen has been in the league for 12 seasons so he is at the end of the road.
The next superstar safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers will obviously have to come from the draft or elsewhere.
Much like it has been since Rod Woodson and Carnell Lake left the team years ago, Steelers Nation will begin a long wait for someone to shine not just at cornerback, but now safety with Polamalu retired. Pittsburgh has had a number of great players at that position but was Polamalu the best ever?
There have been some outstanding safeties since the team first took the field in 1933, and perhaps the first name that comes to mind is Donnie Shell.
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The “Torpedo” as he was well known probably for his propensity as a hard-hitting strong safety, was a member of the famed 1974 draft class for the Steelers that netted four Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees. Interestingly enough, Shell was not drafted that year, but signed as an undrafted rookie free agent.
Playing college ball at South Carolina State, there are many who believe the Torpedo belongs with the four other 1974 rookies that are enshrined in the hallowed halls that make up the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Maybe one day Shell will be honored there alongside Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Jack Lambert, and the late Mike Webster who joined the Steelers as did Shell in 1974.
Let the argument begin. Who was better? Shell or Polamalu? Both played with reckless abandon. If you boil that discussion down to career statistics, Shell played in 43 more games and came up with 51 interceptions to Polamalu’s 32.
It’s in the forced fumbles where there a significant difference. In 12 seasons, #43 forced 14 fumbles whereas Donnie Shell never forced one.
“I’ve never thought about the end of my career. I’ve had this growing motto in my life to live day to day – and when you live day to day, it’s hard to talk years.” Troy Polamalu
However, the man who wore jersey #31 did recover 19 loose balls. Polamalu picked up seven.
Aside from the stats comparison, it might come down to style of play and both men played with no regard for their own safety.
Donnie Shell might be best remembered for a hit he put on the train named Earl Campbell in 1978. Not many defenders could put a dent in the Houston Oilers’ star running back, but Shell put a lick on him for the ages.
Troy Polamalu made one of his own highlight reel plays on October 3, 2004. Playing at home, the Cincinnati Bengals were the opponents and Carson Palmer attempted a pass that Polamalu picked off and rumbled towards the end zone.
Just before reaching the goal line, the only man standing in the way was his former roommate at USC…Carson Palmer. No matter, Polamalu bowled him over and went in for the score.
Is there another competitor for all-time best aside from Troy Polamalu and Donnie Shell? There are few names that come to mind but they certainly played a different style of football than the “Tasmanian Devil” and the Torpedo.
Mike Wagner was a solid safety who played alongside Shell for years. Carnell Lake manned the secondary with Rod Woodson to give the Steelers a formidable duo during the 1990’s. Glen Edwards held his own for those dynasty teams in the 70’s.
More recently, Ryan Clark came to the Steelers in 2006 from the Washington Redskins and was a fantastic complement to Polamalu. If anyone else is to be included in the discussion as best-ever safety, maybe only Lake could be brought into the mix.
There are some honorable mentions. Players that were not stars but certainly contributed in a major way and were not just starters but solid players who made mini-names for themselves. Examples would be Lee Flowers, Myron Bell, Tyrone Carter, Chris Hope, Mike Logan, and Darren Perry.
But the truly great ones? That has to be reserved for just two…Shell and Polamalu. Which one was better? Hard choice to make.