Gary Smith: The faith of Troy Polamalu

Troy Polamalu, who played safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2003 to 2014, has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He will enter the hall with Bill Cowher, who coached the team for his first four seasons, and defensive back Donnie Shell, both selected as part of the hall’s special class to celebrate the NFL’s 100th year.

Polamalu’s “combination of speed, anticipation and toughness” made the eight-time Pro Bowler one of the best at his position in NFL history. Polamalu was named a first-team All-Pro four times and the NFL’s MVP in 2010 and won two Super Bowl rings. Many football pundits argue that he revolutionized the safety position. For a dozen years, Polamalu was the public face of the Steelers’ franchise because of his stellar performance and his television commercials for Head & Shoulders shampoo.

While playing with the Steelers, Polamalu was also widely known as one of the NFL’s most devout Christians. In his book “The Tebow Mystique,” Patton Dodd reported that Polamalu was “mentioned by fellow players for his spiritual devotion” more than anyone else.

The NFL, David Kamp wrote in GQ, abounded with “Bible-study groups and postgame prayer circles. But even in this context, Polamalu stands out.” Polamalu, Kamp argued, was different from other Christian stars such as Roger Staubach and Reggie White. He was “a mystic, a man more fourth century than 21st, living in constant dialogue with the Deity.” Kamp concluded that “what truly marks Polamalu as a man apart … is his godliness.”

The youngest of five children, Polamalu was raised by a single mother on welfare in an impoverished, crime-ridden Los Angeles neighborhood. Polamalu spent more time on the streets than with his mother. By third grade, he was stealing lunch every day from a local grocery store. To escape this environment, he moved to Oregon to live with his uncle, where he attended fourth through 12th grade. In Oregon, Polamalu attended a Catholic schools and developed a close personal relationship with God. Polamalu reports that in high school, “I was almost constantly in prayer.”

After joining the Steelers in 2003, Polamalu undertook a spiritual quest that led him and his wife Theodora to become Greek Orthodox Christians in 2007.

For Polamalu, the essence of faith is surrendering to God. While playing for the Steelers, he declared, “I try to serve God, through football, with passion.” He asserted that “as Mother Teresa said, God calls us not to be successful but to be faithful.” He denounced the “idea that the more pious” people were, the more successful they will be, as “very dangerous.” “If you look at faith in that way,” he added, “you’re bound to fail” both “spiritually and in your career.” For Polamalu, winning two Super Bowls paled compared to the fulfillment God provided.

Trying to reconcile the Samoan warrior spirit of his ethnic heritage with Greek Orthodox teachings, Polamalu admitted, was challenging. He strove, however, “to be a valiant Christian warrior” who controlled his passions. “Football,” Polamalu avowed, has “its demons — prestige, ego, avarice” — that players must battle. Football, Polamalu argued, is “a very spiritual sport” because players must deal with “the fear of failure,” pride and being criticized for making a mistakes.

During his playing career, many teammates and opponents expressed great admiration and affection for Polamalu. They respected his temperament, character, compassion and Christian faith. Numerous players testified that Polamalu positively influenced their faith. When Steelers safety Shamarko Thomas asked him how to be great, Polamalu replied that greatness is about “putting God first and just doing the right things in your life.”

Off the field, Polamalu made weekly unpublicized visits to cancer patients at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and created a foundation to aid the needy. Many hospital staff “marveled at Polamalu’s attentiveness.” “When he comes in,” observed a child-life specialist, “he makes the kids feel like they are the most important person in the room.” Polamalu’s foundation helps fund the hospital, provided housing for residents of American Samoa who were displaced by a 2009 tsunami, and supports the initiatives of Focus+ Pittsburgh, an Orthodox organization that combats poverty in Western Pennsylvania.

Polamalu deserves to be honored not only for his outstanding performance on the gridiron but also for his exemplary Christian witness and charitable deeds.

Gary Scott Smith is professor of history emeritus at Grove City College.