Former Steeler Ryan Shazier describes impact of mentoring Troy Polamalu

One of the things that made Ryan Shazier’s spine injury so sad was that, for Pittsburgh Steelers fans, they could feel a bit of Troy Polamalu in what he brought to the pitch. .

Shazier (a linebacker) played a different position than Polamalu (a safety), and the defense around him was not as good as Polamalu’s.

You can still see it, can’t you?

Unbridled, flexible, kinetic and revolutionary athleticism in the middle third of the field, with the ability to reduce coverage and make the quarterback’s life difficult. But also the ferocity of attacking the line of scrimmage with bad intentions.

Oh, and see if either of them has ever got their hands on a soccer ball.

Polamalu’s talents will see him enter the Professional Football Hall of Fame next month. Shazier won two trips to the Pro Bowl before his career was cut short due to the injury he sustained in Cincinnati in December 2017.

The two Steelers straddled each other for just a year. The 2014 season was Shazier’s Pittsburgh premiere and Polamalu’s last. However, they played on the same defense and they were huddled in the same corner of the Steelers locker room at the UPMC Rooney sports complex on the south side.

While promoting his foundation to fund spine rehabilitation on WDVE on Thursday morning, it became clear how much of an impact Polamalu had on Shazier in such a short time.

“Troy always said just be who you are,” Shazier told the DVE Morning Show. “Understand what awaits you. Trust yourself. Troy trusted himself a lot. He watched a lot of movies. When you watch a movie and do your homework, there are a lot of estimates you can make. Troy took a lot of really good ones. And they helped him get into the Hall of Fame. When you know what you’re doing, trust yourself.

Another area where Polamalu has proven to be a mentor has been illustrating to Shazier how he can bounce back through a tough rookie season. Injuries and inconsistency allowed Shazier to start just five games and play nine as a No.1 pick. He had just 36 tackles and was not involved in any sacks or turnovers.

Polamalu was also disappointing as USC’s No. 1 rookie. Yet after the second year he was in the Pro Bowl.

“Troy let me know that everyone makes mistakes. Everyone’s path is different. He said when he was a rookie he scored so many times he should have won the offensive player of the year award, ”Shazier recalls with a laugh. “It really struck me because Troy is one of the greatest goalies of all time, and his first year in the NFL hasn’t been as good as he wanted it to be. But the way he finished it was one of the best careers you can have. “

You can even hear a bit of Polamalu’s noted ethereal and witty verbiage creeping into Shazier’s quotes.

“This is not a roller coaster. It’s like the ocean. Some days the waters are calm and you know what you are doing. Some days it’s really rocky. But you have to ride with it. And trust yourself, ”Shazier said.

It’s not like Polamalu’s resume needs a subtle boost to be elected to the Hall of Fame. However, guiding Shazier into the player he was – and who he could have been – only strengthens Polamalu’s case.