Troy Polamalu is Not Too Happy

Troy Polamalu is a former USC All-American, which means he’s a beast (see here). If you have ever watched the former Trojan suit up for the Steelers than you’re likely quite aware of his knack for big hits. However, the physicality of Polamalu and other-hard hitting players is not being celebrated by the NFL. Recently, two of his Steelers teammates, James Harrison and Hines Ward, have taken substantial league fines recently for hits that didn’t seem to be fineable offenses.

In response to all these new fines and rule changes that have softened the game, Polamalu went out to call the sport “a pansy game.”

Strong safety Troy Polamalu said football “just loses so much of its essence when it becomes like a pansy game.”

Polamalu also thinks all of this is focused around the dollar bill, not the safety of the players.

He added that the NFL is trying to protect players from injuries because it is in the league’s best interests to do so.

“It has more to do with money and not really with our safety,” Polamalu said.

Polamalu also thinks that, with these rules, some of the names that popularized football wouldn’t stand a chance in the game today.

“When you see guys like Dick Butkus, the Ronnie Lotts, the Jack Tatums, these guys really went after people,” Polamalu said. “Now, they couldn’t survive in this type of game. They wouldn’t have enough money. They’d be paying fines all the time and they’d be suspended for a year after they do it two games in a row. It’s kind of ridiculous.”