Continuing with our written articles based off our interview with Hall of Famer and former Pittsburgh Steelers’ legendary DC Dick LeBeau, an interview you can listen to in Friday’s episode of The Terrible Podcast. Prior to discussing Ryan Clark’s underrated importance to those great Steelers’ defense, LeBeau talked about how he took first round pick Troy Polamalu, who struggled as a rookie, and helped mold him into the player he became, one of the best safeties in NFL history.
LeBeau wasn’t in Pittsburgh in 2003 but rejoined the team in 2004. Polamalu didn’t start any games as a rookie, finishing the year with just 48 tackles, and took his lumps as he adjusted to the complexity of the NFL game.