Troy Polamalu beendet nach 12 Jahren Karriere

Anstatt entlassen zu werden oder sich auf dem Free Agent Markt nach einem neuen Team umzuschauen, beendet Troy Polamalu nach 12 Jahren seine NFL Karriere. Der langjährige Star der Pittsburgh Steelers erklärte Scout.com’s Jim Wexell wieso er nichtmehr spielen will:

I did not seriously consider playing elsewhere. It was just whether or not I wanted to play. I had talked to a lot of people about what I should do with my situation, and what they kept saying back to me, and which was not a sufficient reason, was ‘Troy, you played 12 years in the NFL, you won Super Bowls, won individual awards. There’s nothing left to prove. You have a legacy.’ And I just kept saying, ‘First of all, I don’t care about a legacy. Second of all, I play the game because I enjoy it.’ That’s the reason to keep playing.

Polamalu, 33, soll den General Manager der Steelers angerufen haben um von seinem Rückzug Bescheid zu sagen. Dieser Schritt sorgte für viel Aufmerksamkeit in der NFL:

Steelers make it official, announcing that safety Troy Polamalu has retired.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) 10. April 2015

Troy Polamalu was one of those players who was so good that you couldn’t imagine him doing anything else besides playing football.

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) 10. April 2015

Polamalu made life a lot easier for him and the #Steelers by retiring instead of forcing a cut. Near-lock for HOF, but it was time

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) 10. April 2015

WR Andrew Hawkins von den Cleveland Browns postete zu Polamalu’s Ehren sogar ein Video von sich auf dem Spielfeld, in welchem er von diesem getackled wird.

But in all seriousness, it was an honor, privilege, and dream come true to be able to step on the same field as @tpolamalu. Growing in Johnstown, Pa, I had the opportunity to watch him play since I was in high school, and he’s always been a man & player of integrity & an incredible example for young players like myself. Congratulations on an unbelievable career! And best of luck in the future!