Steelers Legend Troy Polamalu Talks Super Bowl
The Hall of Famer discusses playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and his Super Bowl prediction.
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00:00 Okay, ladies and gentlemen, okay, matter of fact,
00:03 the camera guy's a big Pittsburgh fan,
00:04 so he's just raving right now.
00:06 Ladies and gentlemen, I have Troy Palomalu here.
00:09 We are gonna talk a little bit of football.
00:11 Let's first start talking about Pittsburgh Steelers.
00:13 We got Mike Tomlin.
00:15 Like, what makes him so good, man?
00:17 Like, I feel like every year he just finds a way.
00:20 Like, he just finds a way.
00:20 Talk to me about Mike Tomlin.
00:22 - Well, I think he has, first and foremost,
00:24 he has the respect of the team,
00:26 and it's just the way that he deals with guys.
00:29 I think he's very honest, and he's very direct.
00:34 You know, he doesn't really sugarcoat things,
00:35 but you know, he's also a man that carries himself that way,
00:39 so it's not like there's any hypocrisy with him.
00:41 So I think he has a lot of respect from guys in that way.
00:45 Obviously, from the football standpoint,
00:46 he checks all the boxes, too.
00:48 He's an excellent, there's so many things I learned from him
00:51 late in my career of how to see offenses and stuff.
00:55 So I mean, from an excellent note, guys,
00:56 he knows everything pretty much from every position,
00:59 and so he's got it all, he really does.
01:02 - So obviously, you're one of the best safeties ever,
01:05 if not the best safety ever.
01:07 Talk to us about Minka Fitzpatrick,
01:09 and what makes him a really good safety out there.
01:11 - Man, well, I appreciate you saying that about me,
01:14 but I don't think that, because here's what I,
01:16 I always put Ed in that category.
01:19 - Yeah, Ed was a dog, too.
01:19 - And the reason why I put Ed in that category
01:21 is the same reason why I would put Minka,
01:23 is they get the ball.
01:24 These guys get the ball,
01:25 and that thing, hits are really important.
01:29 They're a big part of the game, absolutely,
01:30 but man, it's really all about that ball.
01:32 It's something that I think Minka does a really great job of.
01:36 It's obviously shown to be the best in the league,
01:39 if not the best in the league for over the last decade.
01:42 So to me, that's really what this game is about,
01:46 is getting that ball,
01:47 and Minka does a great job of doing that.
01:49 - Okay, let's talk a little bit about the Super Bowl, man.
01:51 What's your predictions, and what defense do you think
01:55 has a more, they're more at a disadvantage
01:57 against the offense that they're planning against?
01:59 - So I think it will give my perspective something,
02:03 a really interesting perspective,
02:04 because I've never seen these guys play.
02:06 (laughing)
02:08 - I love it, I love it.
02:10 - So I'm just guessing.
02:11 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:12 - So, honestly, I haven't watched a lot of the Kansas City,
02:17 but everybody knows what you're gonna get from Patrick.
02:21 Honestly, it's funny,
02:23 because when I look at the records throughout the year,
02:25 it's not like I watch football every day.
02:27 I'm not that close of a fan of the game,
02:30 but if you see Kansas City and teams like that,
02:34 you know that are at 10 and six,
02:37 and their record doesn't matter in the regular season.
02:42 There's a certain confidence that Pittsburgh had.
02:44 It's like, dude, if you just give us a ticket to the show,
02:46 which is getting into the playoffs,
02:47 we're gonna perform when we get there.
02:49 And I think that's where Kansas City is.
02:51 Kansas City is like,
02:52 listen, man, let's get through this regular season.
02:54 Let's just get to the playoffs
02:56 so that we can perform and do that.
02:58 They have that level of confidence
02:59 the same way that New England had that confidence
03:02 through Tom Brady era.
03:03 So, one thing that I think is tough
03:08 for San Francisco to deal with is,
03:10 man, Patrick isn't rattled by any defense.
03:16 He wasn't rattled by this defense last year
03:18 when he played against them.
03:20 So I think it'll be really interesting
03:22 this matchup because it really comes down to,
03:25 I think, how Brock Purdy performs on offense.
03:28 - Let me bring you back a little bit.
03:31 We both went to USC, USC alums.
03:33 Pete Carroll was your coach.
03:35 Pete Carroll was my coach.
03:37 Pete Carroll just got fired from the Seahawks.
03:40 Talk to us a little bit about what you remember
03:42 from your time with Pete Carroll at USC.
03:44 - Oh, gosh, man.
03:45 - And what he meant to you.
03:46 - First of all, Pete Carroll and I have been around,
03:51 honestly, four Hall of Fame coaches.
03:54 Dick LeBeau was my defensive coordinator.
03:55 I was also a Hall of Fame player.
03:58 Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher, and Coach Carroll.
04:01 Coach Carroll is just as good as all of them, man.
04:04 But I almost wanna say better,
04:05 but I don't wanna disrespect the other coaches
04:07 because I had coach in college.
04:10 So you can get away with a lot more in college
04:13 in terms of being looser.
04:17 Coach Carroll, we'd go to the beach
04:20 and watch the AVP Tour during training camp.
04:22 You know what I'm saying?
04:23 We'd do stuff like that to take a break.
04:25 You know what I'm saying?
04:25 He'd have a In-N-Out burger truck.
04:27 These are a lot of really cool things
04:28 that you can do in college
04:29 that pro coaches don't normally do.
04:31 There's also quite a few personal stories
04:35 that Coach Carroll has, that I have with Coach Carroll,
04:39 where he's actually staying on the table for me.
04:41 So there's a special experience I have with him.
04:44 Right now, it's a really interesting time in our game.
04:48 We've lost a couple of patriarchs,
04:50 Coach Carroll and Bill Belichick.
04:53 And it doesn't look like they're gonna be back in the NFL.
04:56 It's a young man's game in coaching.
05:00 It's a young man's game in playing.
05:03 And a lot of these new, innovative ideas
05:06 that coaches from the Niners are having
05:08 and coaches that Miami are having.
05:11 So it's an exciting time to be part of this game.
05:15 Coach Carroll, Bill Belichick,
05:17 these guys have, the game is where it's at
05:20 because it's been built on guys like that's back.
05:23 - All right, let's talk a little bit about the partnership.
05:25 We got Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese.
05:28 - Everybody knows, man, Cool Ranch all day.
05:30 - All day, all day.
05:31 - We need Cool Ranch seeds, Cool Ranch steak seasoning.
05:36 That's what I'm talking about.
05:37 That's the type of fan I am.
05:39 (both laughing)
05:41 - Hey, ladies and gentlemen,
05:43 the man with the best hair is still flowing,
05:45 Troy Palamalo, man.
05:47 Thank you, man.
05:48 Thank you, brother.
05:49 Thank you.