[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 651-654]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SEVEN ASIAN-PACIFIC AMERICANS PLAYING IN THIS 
                           WEEK'S SUPER BOWL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and indeed a 
personal honor for me to share with my colleagues and the American 
people that for myself as a Polynesian of Samoan ancestry and as a 
Member of the United States Congress, to congratulate, to recognize and 
to commend seven sons of the Asian-Pacific American community who will 
be playing in Super Bowl XL this coming Sunday, at Detroit, Michigan.
  These seven players are Lofa Tatupu, Itula Mili, and Wayne Hunter of 
the Seattle Seahawks, and Troy Polamalu, Shaun Nua, Chris Kemoeatu, and 
Kimo van Oelhoffen of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
  Among the seven Polynesian players in this Sunday's Super Bowl game, 
Kimo von Oelhoffen is Native Hawaiian, Chris Kemoeatu is Tongan, and 
Lofa Tatupu, Itula Mili, Wayne Hunter, Shaun Nua, and Troy Polamalu are 
all Samoans.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a monumental achievement in the history of our 
Polynesian people in this great country of ours. These young men 
exemplify for me a journey of our people, particularly those of us who 
come to this country from humble beginnings as people of small island 
nations, with nothing but our values, our culture and our great fear of 
God to navigate the great highways of our Nation.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, I am especially proud of these young men, give 
tremendous credit to their parents and extended families. It is a pride 
that comes from a deep understanding that great feats are accomplished 
through a dedication to basic hard work, perseverance, determination, 
and a lot of patience. Each of these young men have had to overcome 
great obstacles to be where he is today.
  Such a feat reminds me of the wisdom of one of my great heroes, the 
nonviolent leader, Mahatma Gandhi, whose insight into the human spirit 
sums up quite frankly what I believe to be a fundamental truth. Mahatma 
Gandhi says strength does not come from physical capacity; it comes 
from the indomitable will.
  Lofa Tatupu, Itula Mili, Wayne Hunter, Troy Polamalu, Shaun Nua, 
Chris Kemoeatu, and Kimo von Oelhoffen epitomize the indomitable will 
of our Polynesian people, which in my opinion is another clear 
manifestation of the greatness of our Nation, to allow its citizens 
whose roots are from just about every part of the world to be all you 
can be if given the opportunity.
  And in this instance, seven Polynesians have stepped to the plate to 
share their God-given talent of playing the sport of football in the 
National Football League.
  Of the 300 million Americans today, only 30,000 are Tongan Americans, 
and about 200,000 are Samoans living in my district and in the 
Continental United States, and approximately 400,000 Native Hawaiians 
nationwide.
  From these meager statistics, Mr. Speaker, the presence of these 
seven Polynesian men in the Super Bowl this Sunday should remind us all 
as Americans that the values upon which this country was founded are 
still alive; that pure hard work, commitment, determination, and 
perseverance continue to be rewarded.
  Mr. Speaker, let me give you a brief summary of each of those 
players' achievements. Of the seven players, Itula Mili and Chris 
Kemoeatu are graduates of my alma mater, Kahuku High School in the 
State of Hawaii. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, of the 24 Samoans 
that currently play in the National Football League, five are graduates 
of Kahuku High School of Hawaii, and five are graduates of high schools 
of my little territory of American Samoa.
  Itula Mili wears jersey No. 88 and plays for the Seattle Seahawks. 
Wayne Hunter wears jersey No. 73 and plays for the Seattle Seahawks. 
Lofa Tatupu wears the jersey of 51 and plays for the Seattle Seahawks. 
Lofa is the son of the former NFL great fullback and special teams 
great and my dear friend, Mosi Tatupu, both alumni of the University of 
Southern California Trojans.
  Wearing No. 43 with the Pittsburgh Steelers is Troy Polamalu. 
Polamalu has developed into one of the NFL's top safeties and was one 
of the six Steelers selected to the 2005 Pro Bowl. He has been selected 
to the 2006 Pro Bowl team. He was named to the Associated Press second 
team all pro squad as a ferocious hitter with excellent speed.
  Twenty-four-year-old No. 96, Shaun Nua, plays for the Pittsburgh 
Steelers. Born in American Samoa, he attended a local high school. He 
is known as an athletic defensive lineman.
  Chris Kemoeatu wears jersey No. 68 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, 
Kahuku high School graduate, All American University of Utah. Komo von 
Oelhoffen wears No. 67 for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He hails from 
Kaunakakai, Hawaii, a graduate of Molokai High School.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Asian-Pacific American community living 
in this great Nation of ours, once more, it is with pride that I share 
with my colleagues and indeed with all of my fellow Americans the 
accomplishments of our Polynesian young men in the field of sports, 
specifically football.
  Mr. Speaker, again I want to say fa`afetai tele, mahalo nui loa, and 
malo e lelei, which means ``thank you'' in Samoan, Hawaiian, and the 
Tongan languages.
  Mr. Speaker, I will insert for the Record at this point articles on 
these players.

                [From Sports Illustrated, Nov. 14, 2005]

                        The Young and Relentless


 Versatile, hard-hitting and oozing confidence, the next generation of 
 defensive stars is disrupting game plans and creating a new blueprint 
                          for building winners

                            (By Peter King)

       Something hard to quantify hit the NFL in the first half of 
     the season. Not quite a trend, but more than a feeling: Young 
     defensive players--rookies, second- and third-year players--
     are making a bigger impact than, well, maybe ever.
       The Colts are 8-0 and on track for the Super Bowl using 
     seven key defensive players who are 25 or younger; Colts 
     defensive end Robert Mathis, 24, is tied for the NFL sack 
     lead with eight, while linebacker Cato June, 25, is second in 
     the league with five interceptions. The Jets followed middle 
     linebacker Jonathan Vilma's young leadership to the playoffs 
     last year, and now two contenders--Cincinnati (with Odell 
     Thurman) and Seattle (Lofa Tatupu)--have rookie middle 
     'backers calling defensive signals. In Chicago safety Mike 
     Brown, 27, is the old man of a rock-solid secondary for the 
     NFC North-leading Bears. None of his fellow starters 
     (cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher and rookie 
     safety Chris Harris) has turned 25 yet. Five rookies are 
     playing in Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's 
     rotation, helping Dallas contend in the resurgent NFC East. 
     The most accomplished of the young bunch, and certainly the 
     most recognizable, may be Steelers safety Troy Polamalu (page 
     44), who in just three seasons has become a force in the 
     league, ranging all over the field, hair flowing as he 
     delivers game-changing plays.
       ``I see it every week, right in front of me,'' says Chiefs 
     defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham. ``The league is 
     changing. First-day draft picks are coming in and making an 
     impact early on defense.''
       ``If you're good, you're good,'' says Tillman, 24, an 
     intelligent third-year player who has started since October 
     of his rookie year. ``LeBron James was--what?--18 when he 
     came into the NBA. Michelle Wie's playing with the best at 
     16. No one said, `Oh, she's too young.' Football's not old 
     school anymore, where you sit till you're a senior in 
     college, then get to play, then sit for two or three years 
     before you get your chance in the NFL. When I came to camp as 
     a rookie, it was all about who was the best guy.''
       The philosophy of building a defense with star free agents 
     and supplementing them with meat and potatoes in the draft 
     began to

[[Page 652]]

     wane in the late '90s, after several high-profile mistakes. 
     In 1998 Jacksonville gave linebacker Bryce Paup a five-year, 
     $21.8-million deal, and he gave the Jags 7\1/2\ sacks in two 
     years before being cut. That same year cornerback Doug Evans 
     (Carolina), defensive end Gabe Wilkins (San Francisco) and 
     defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield (Washington) signed for a 
     combined $79 million; they made zero Pro Bowls for those 
     teams. In '99 Dale Carter signed a six-year, $38 million deal 
     and gave Denver one lousy season on the field and a second in 
     which he was suspended for substance abuse.
       ``Money can make fools of all of us,'' says Chargers coach 
     Marty Schottenheimer. ``There've been some lessons learned 
     from free agency. And I've changed a little bit when it comes 
     to the draft. I used to say draft a guy and let him sit till 
     he learns it, maybe two or three years. Now, the last five or 
     six years, they've got to produce in year two and three.''
       The first five picks in last April's draft were offensive 
     players, but 34 of the next 59 were defenders. And there's no 
     question that the bigger impact has been made by the 
     defensive rookies, led by Thurman, San Diego's Luis Castillo 
     and Shawne Merriman, and Dallas's Demarcus Ware--any of whom 
     could make the Pro Bowl this season.
       Says Tennessee director of pro scouting Al Smith, a 10-year 
     NFL linebacker who retired in 1997, ``On our side of the 
     business we're seeing it's better to draft a good prospect 
     and develop him rather than spending $10 or $15 million on a 
     signing bonus in free agency and getting burned. With guys 
     like Merriman and Ware, you basically tell them, `Get to the 
     quarterback and don't jump offside.'''
                                  ____


                [From the Washington Post, Feb. 1, 2006]

                       Everybody's in a Big Hurry


      Steelers' Blitzes Make Protecting the Quarterback a Problem

                          (By Leonard Shapiro)

       Detroit, Jan. 31.--It's the kind of image that can keep an 
     offensive lineman tossing and turning at night.
       Over the last week or so, Robbie Tobeck, Seattle's 12th-
     year center, and his teammates on the line have studied 
     videotape of the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense, particularly 
     the constant and often devastating blitzes that can come at 
     any time, from any place on the field.
       ``You know they're going to be extremely physical,'' Tobeck 
     said. ``What you see is when they've been successful, they've 
     basically gotten people into a panic. That's something we 
     can't allow to happen. We've got to relax, take our time and 
     make the adjustments to prevent something like that.''
       The Steelers have been a blitzing team ever since Bill 
     Cowher showed up as their coach 14 years ago. One of the 
     original architects of the Steelers' zone blitz schemes was 
     Dick LeBeau, who played 14 years at cornerback in the NFL and 
     spent I six years as an assistant coach with the Steelers in 
     the mid-1990s. He returned as the team's defensive 
     coordinator in 2004, and his handiwork has been evident in 
     Pittsburgh's run to Super Bowl XL.
       No team in the NFL blitzed more than the Steelers in 2005, 
     using the tactic on a league-high 287 pass attempts during 
     the regular season. The blitz was primarily responsible for 
     eliminating the top-seeded Indianapolis Colts in the second 
     round of the AFC playoffs in a game in which quarterback 
     Peyton Manning spent more time on his back than standing 
     upright. Manning was so undone he complained afterward that 
     his teammates simply couldn't protect him.
       There was more of the same 10 days ago in the AFC title 
     game, when the Steelers forced Broncos quarterback Jake 
     Plummer into four turnovers--two interceptions and two 
     fumbles under a particularly heavy rush--in Pittsburgh's 
     upset at Denver's Invesco Field. In all three playoff 
     victories, the Steelers stuffed their opponent's running 
     game, made offenses become one-dimensional and took early 
     leads, allowing their defense even more latitude to create 
     mayhem--and perhaps a little panic, as well.
       ``First of all, they have great athletes,'' Seattle Coach 
     Mike Holmgren said Tuesday. ``They have the kind of players 
     who can execute what they ask them to do. You have to have 
     the right people to run the schemes. In Pittsburgh's case, 
     when they blitz the linebacker, that linebacker is really 
     good at blitzing. We've all seen teams that blitz and the 
     blitzer runs right into the blocker. It's an awesome 
     collision, but he never gets home. Their players are 
     physical, but they also have enough wiggle and speed to make 
     it very, very difficult.''
       The Steelers operate out of a 3-4 alignment--three down 
     linemen and four linebackers. The front three linemen--end 
     Aaron Smith (298 pounds), nose tackle Casey Hampton (325) and 
     end Kimo von Oelhoffen (299)--provide a major push toward the 
     quarterback, sometimes occupying two offensive linemen on one 
     defensive lineman, creating openings for linebackers and 
     defensive backs to rush the quarterback.
       The zone blitz also often drops a defensive lineman into 
     the pass-coverage lanes and almost always includes one safety 
     playing in a deep zone.
       If a linebacker blitzes, one of his teammates will simply 
     play a zone to cover an area, as opposed to a specific 
     receiver. Fifteen players had at least one sack this season 
     for the Steelers, who were tied for third in the league with 
     47, including nine by safeties and cornerbacks. Linebacker 
     Joey Porter led the Steelers with 10 1/2 sacks, and fellow 
     linebacker Clark Haggans, Porter's former Colorado State 
     teammate, had nine.
       Strong safety Troy Polamalu, with the long hair he 
     described Tuesday as ``my fifth appendage,'' has emerged as 
     arguably the Steelers'' most dangerous defender. He's a 5-
     foot-l0, 212-pound dynamo who lines up all over the field and 
     has a knack for avoiding blocks and making huge hits--in 
     opposing backfields and the secondary if he stays in pass 
     coverage.
       ``This kid Polamalu is the best football player I've ever 
     seen,'' Denver defensive lineman Trevor Pryce said before the 
     Steelers faced the Broncos in the AFC championship game. 
     ``There's something very strange about him that I can't put a 
     finger on. They call him `ninja' because he just pops out of 
     nowhere and pops you. He's reckless. He does not care. He has 
     an advantage being 5-10. When you're short and strong, you 
     have an advantage because those 6-5 offensive linemen can't 
     get a hold of anything to block.''
       During the regular season, Polamalu tied for fourth on the 
     team in total tackles with 91, was second in interceptions 
     (two) and added three sacks and three fumble recoveries. He 
     has been just as impressive in the playoffs.
       ``I don't know if he's changing [the way defense is 
     played], but he is a very unique player at his position,'' 
     Cowher said. ``He combines the athletic ability to cover, the 
     explosion to be a great blitzer. He's also an outstanding 
     tackler, and on top of that he's a very instinctive player.''
       He also studies more than most. After the 2004 season, 
     Polamalu watched more than 20 hours of tape of the NFL's top 
     safeties, including his role model, New England safety Rodney 
     Harrison, as well as Denver's John Lynch and Dallas's Roy 
     Williams.
       Last year at the Pro Bowl, Polamalu played on the AFC team 
     with Lynch and sought some one-on-one tutoring.
       ``Early in the week, he came up to me and said, `Any way I 
     could pick your brain and if you don't mind spend some time 
     with you?''' Lynch told the Rocky Mountain News. ``I respect 
     that out of young players. The guy is committed to the game 
     of football and obviously is a tremendous talent. He makes 
     their defense go.''
       And blitz. But it isn't enough to merely blitz. A team must 
     disguise its blitzing packages, and Polamalu is particularly 
     adept at coming up to the line of scrimmage as if planning to 
     rush the passer, then wheeling and turning his back on the 
     offense as if to go back into coverage. Then he does another 
     whirl at the snap of the ball and heads back toward the 
     quarterback.
       Porter also earned a trip to the Pro Bowl this year with 
     his own disruptive tactics, and will try to do the same this 
     week against Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
       ``I have to do something to make Hasselbeck feel not so 
     comfortable in the pocket,'' Porter said. ``I have to do 
     something to make him run and get outside the pocket. I like 
     my opportunity with me and Kimo over there, the way we've 
     been playing. It's going to make for a good matchup.
       ``When we take the run away from teams, we're also playing 
     to our strength, making them one-dimensional. When we make 
     teams one-dimensional, I always like our chances.''
                                  ____


                [From Sports Illustrated, Jan. 30, 2006]

                              Shock Value


  After playing the Panthers low, hard-hitting rookie linebacker Lofa 
 Tatupu may be the man who brings the Seahawks their first Super Bowl 
                                 trophy

                          (By Michael Silver)

       The commotion had unnerved him, and Lofa Tatupu, the 
     Seattle Seahawks' rookie middle linebacker, was bent on 
     restoring order. ``Shut up, Bailey!'' Tatupu yelled, 
     momentarily interrupting the incessant barking of the 15-
     pound fox terrier running around his Kirkland, Wash., town 
     house last Friday night. Then, in an instant, Tatupu's angry 
     stare turned sheepish. That's because Bailey, who belongs to 
     Tatupu's girlfriend, Rachael Marcott, has grown on the 
     Seahawks' leading tackler. ``Come here, Bailey,'' he said, 
     extending his right fist. ``Give me some dap.''
       Balancing on his hind legs, Bailey dutifully lifted his 
     left paw and hit Tatupu's fist. ``That's my dog,'' Tatupu 
     said, beaming. At the sight of a little pooch turning the 23-
     year-old former USC star into a softie, you had to wonder: 
     Does this 5'11'', 226-pound linebacker sip soy lattes? Does 
     Lofa use a loofah?
       Two days later, to the delight of a Seattle fan base hoping 
     to shed more than a quarter century's worth of postseason 
     disappointment, Tatupu affirmed his machismo with a bang in 
     the NFC Championship Game at Qwest Field. Deciphering the 
     Carolina Panthers' offense like a savvy veteran, Tatupu 
     quickly set the tone for the Seahawks' 34-14 victory. With 
     5:07 left in the first quarter, he stepped in front of All-
     Pro wideout Steve

[[Page 653]]

     Smith to make an interception that led to a field goal. 
     Little more than three minutes later, with Seattle on top 10-
     0, Tatupu correctly read a sweep around right end and closed 
     hard on Carolina running back Nick Goings. Their headon 
     collision was as charged as a Pearl Jam gig at the nearby 
     Crocodile Cafe, and both players slumped to the ground.
       ``I wasn't sure who had won that one,'' Seattle defensive 
     end Bryce Fisher said later. ``But their guy left the game, 
     and ours shook off the cobwebs and kept playing. That was 
     huge, because Lofa's our leader.''
       That a would-be college senior could help lead the Seahawks 
     to their first Super Bowl spoke to the strangeness of a 
     season few envisioned back last April, when Seattle drafted 
     Tatupu in the second round and essentially allowed him to 
     take charge of the defense. On Sunday, with the help of 
     smelling salts and the urgings of 67,837 fans, Tatupu played 
     three-plus quarters with what was later diagnosed as a mild 
     concussion and helped the Seahawks complete a declawing of 
     the Panthers that reverberated from Grungeville all the way 
     to Motown.
       When the Seahawks (15-3) face the Pittsburgh Steelers (14-
     5) in Super Bowl XL on Feb. 5 in Detroit, the latest version 
     of the Steel Curtain won't be the only defense at Ford Field 
     capable of controlling the game. ``We come hard, and we're 
     fighters,'' Tatupu said of a unit that limited Carolina to 
     109 total yards through three quarters and didn't allow the 
     offense to score until 5:09 remained.
       If the Panthers (13-6), fresh off impressive road playoff 
     victories over the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears, 
     didn't see it coming, Don Hasselbeck did--more than a decade 
     ago. Back then Hasselbeck, a former NFL tight end, was 
     coaching the Norfolk (Mass.) Vikings in a Pop Warner league 
     the same time his former New England Patriots teammate, 
     fullback Mosi Tatupu (Lofa's father), was coaching the King 
     Philip Warriors. ``My son Nathaniel was our quarterback, and 
     Lofa, at 12, was all over him,'' Don recalled while standing 
     in the Seahawks' locker room on Sunday night. ``I had to run 
     double reverses just to give us a chance.'' A few feet away 
     Nathaniel's big brother, Matt, the Seahawks' quarterback, 
     nodded in agreement. Matt had just demoralized the Carolina 
     defense with his typically heady and efficient play--20 of 28 
     passing for 219 yards and two touchdowns--while league MVP 
     Shaun Alexander had carried 34 times for 132 yards and a pair 
     of TDs.
       Keying Seattle's attack, as always, was the NFL's 
     preeminent offensive line, a group that Hasselbeck's former 
     backup, Cleveland Browns quarterback Trent Dilfer, 
     affectionately calls ``the grumpy old men.'' As much as the 
     well-acquainted linemen--all the starters except second-year 
     right tackle Sean Locklear have been with the team for at 
     least five seasons--like to carp at one another off the 
     field, their unspoken understanding of how to adjust to 
     defensive alignments is what defines this unit. ``If you're 
     not making calls at the line, it confuses a defensive 
     lineman,'' All-Pro left tackle Walter Jones said at lunch 
     last Saturday at a Kirkland T.G.I. Friday's. ``At that point 
     he can only guess what you're cooking up.''
       The Seahawks' vastly improved chemistry this season was no 
     accident. After last January's 27-20 wild-card playoff loss 
     at home to the St. Louis Rams--extending the franchise's 
     streak without a postseason victory to an NFL-worst 21 
     years--Seattle shook things up. Owner Paul Allen dismissed 
     team president Bob Whitsitt, whose ongoing feud with coach 
     Mike Holmgren escalated to the point that the two had stopped 
     talking to each other. In Whitsitt's place, Allen hired Tim 
     Ruskell, a former Tampa Bay Bucs and Atlanta Falcons 
     executive. The front-office tension was eased, and Ruskell 
     purged the roster of players perceived as selfish or 
     divisive. Then he went after guys who, he says, ``loved 
     playing football, played hard and had all the intangibles.'' 
     That's what compelled him to trade up in the draft (with the 
     Panthers, of all teams), for the 45th pick, and take Tatupu.
       At his first minicamp Tatupu showed the Seahawks they had 
     gotten more than they'd bargained for. Recalls Fisher, ``He 
     pretty much stepped in the huddle and told everyone, `Listen 
     to me because I know what I'm doing.''' Tatupu started all 16 
     games, and as the season went on he became increasingly bold 
     in practices--irking Holmgren by calling fake punts (Tatupu 
     occasionally filled in as the up-back on the punt team) and 
     switching pass coverages during two-minute drills. Yet 
     against the Panthers he was a coach's dream, repeatedly 
     identifying the plays Carolina was about to run and 
     positioning his teammates accordingly. This was essential to 
     Seattle's defensive game plan, which was designed to 
     frustrate Smith with a variety of double coverages and 
     required Seattle to stop the run with only seven men near the 
     line of scrimmage. The plan worked beautifully. The only 
     damage Smith (five catches, 33 yards) inflicted was a 59-yard 
     punt return for a touchdown, and the Panthers' running backs 
     gained all of 21 yards on nine carries.
       ``It's amazing that he can be that good in his first 
     year,'' Carolina center Jeff Mitchell said of Tatupu after 
     the game. ``He always seems to know where the ball is 
     going.''
       Added Fisher, ``Most offenses are designed to fool the 
     linebackers. Lofa was out there calling exactly what they 
     were doing, so they didn't have a whole lot of options.''
       Sometimes Tatupu's signals weren't easy to hear, as the 
     boisterous crowd celebrated a team it hopes can win Seattle's 
     first major professional sports championship since the 
     SuperSonics won the 1978-79 NBA title. ``This is the craziest 
     crowd I've ever seen in this town,'' said a man who should 
     know, Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament, as he mingled on the 
     field during the postgame trophy presentation. ``There's been 
     sort of a gloomy mentality in Seattle--because of the weather 
     [27 consecutive days of rain, a streak that ended on Jan. 
     15], because there've been so many heartbreaks--but this is 
     an enormous boost for the fans.''
       Tatupu was delirious, too, but in a different way. ``My 
     head hurts, and everything is really foggy,'' he said softly 
     as he walked slowly toward the players' parking lot less than 
     an hour after the game. ``That play knocked me stupid, and I 
     vaguely remember the rest of the game. Maybe it'll come back 
     to me later. I'm just glad we won.''
       Tatupu managed a slight smile. In half an hour he would be 
     home, where a small dog was waiting to give him some well-
     earned dap.
                                  ____


                [From the New York Times, Jan. 30, 2006]

         Pittsburgh Safety Could Lurk Anywhere Against Seattle

                           (By Judy Battista)

       Detroit, Jan. 29.--In the days before the 2003 N.F.L. 
     draft, the dissection of the college prospects was already at 
     its hypercritical zenith. One defensive back from the 
     University of Southern California, with his 4.3 speed in the 
     40-yard dash, his 43-inch vertical leap and football 
     instincts honed from hours of studying film, looked like a 
     can't-miss pick. That was especially so because of defenses 
     that were increasingly demanding players who possessed the 
     intelligence to decipher different offenses and the 
     athleticism to destroy them in seconds.
       But in the search for the perfect specimen, for an android 
     in cleats, the scouts and the seers had allowed doubt to 
     drift in.
       Could this back, Troy Polamalu, play against the pass?
       Three seasons later, offenses face a more vexing question: 
     What can't Polamalu do?
       The Pittsburgh Steelers shook off the doubts and traded up 
     to select Polamalu with their first pick, the 16th over all. 
     In the last two years--since Dick LeBeau's return as the 
     Steelers' defensive coordinator--Polamalu has emerged as the 
     defense's man for all seasons, a blitzer of uncommon speed on 
     passing downs, a tackler of staggering strength against the 
     run, and a moving part so itinerant that opposing offenses 
     find themselves playing Where's Troy before they snap the 
     ball.
       Polamalu is listed on the roster as a strong safety because 
     he has to be given a position. But the versatility and the 
     skill he brings to the Steelers' secondary make him difficult 
     to categorize. He finished the regular season with 100 
     tackles, 11 passes batted down, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions and 
     a forced fumble, according to the Steelers.
       ``He gives you unlimited flexibility,'' LeBeau said in a 
     telephone interview from Pittsburgh last week. ``He can play 
     the deep perimeter. He can play as a linebacker support 
     player. He can blitz. For a defensive coordinator, he's 
     ideal. You can put him anyplace.''
       Or no place. LeBeau trusts Polamalu so much that he is 
     rarely confined to one area of the field. Instead, LeBeau 
     gives Polamalu boundaries for what his role is on a play, and 
     Polamalu takes it from there.
       In one of his most dazzling moves, he will fake a blitz, 
     jumping in and out of gaps on the defensive line like a 
     rabbit, then pull back, whirl around so that he appears 
     headed for the secondary, only to spin back as the ball is 
     snapped to attack the line of scrimmage.
       If Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is known for his arm-
     flapping orchestration of audibles, real and imagined, then 
     Polamalu and his whirling-dervish routine are the defensive 
     equivalent, a thickly layered disguise designed to make 
     offenses wait until the snap before they know where he is 
     going. It is particularly devastating because quarterbacks 
     are taught to read where the safety is to know what kind of 
     coverage the defense is in.
       ``Troy improvises a lot of that stuff,'' LeBeau said, 
     laughing. ``We give him parameters, and sometimes Troy may 
     stretch those a bit.''
       Just a bit. Polamalu has not lined up at nose tackle, but 
     he has done everything else in the Steelers' blitz-happy 3-4 
     defense (three defensive linemen, four linebackers).
       On first down, he is usually at the line of scrimmage over 
     the tight end to stop the run, said Kennedy Pola, the 
     Jacksonville Jaguars' running backs coach, who is also 
     Polamalu's uncle. On second down, Polamalu might be at the 
     line of scrimmage again or he might drop back and play deep. 
     The critical element at the line, LeBeau said, is to make 
     sure Polamalu does not have to take on the guard and the 
     center, who each might outweigh Polamalu--who is 5 feet 10 
     inches and 212 pounds--by 100 pounds or more.

[[Page 654]]

       But it is on third down and other passing situations that 
     Polamalu becomes Pittsburgh's wild card. He might be a 
     blitzing linebacker, rushing up the middle, or he might line 
     up as a pass-rushing end off the edge of the line, 
     essentially turning the 3-4 defense into a 4-4. He has 
     covered the slot receiver as the nickelback, or fifth 
     linebacker, and played deep safety, although his weakness is 
     perceived to be when he has to cover receivers in the open 
     field. Still, Polamalu came close to intercepting Manning in 
     the American Football Conference divisional game against 
     Indianapolis when he dove for a pass while running free in 
     the middle of the field.
       ``When you see a squat body with long hair, you don't think 
     he can run that fast,'' Pola said.
       Big mistake. Steelers linebacker Joey Porter sacked Manning 
     twice in three plays late in the fourth quarter because the 
     Colts' offensive line thought Polamalu was coming up the 
     middle.
       Against the Broncos in the A.F.C. title game, Polamalu 
     tackled Denver running back Tatum Bell a yard short of a 
     first down, while Polamalu was being blocked and was falling 
     down. Later, Polamalu nearly tackled running back Mike 
     Anderson for a safety on a screen pass on third-and-10--even 
     though Polamalu was responsible for covering a deep pass in 
     the seam. Those are the kinds of plays, LeBeau said, that 
     caused him to run the film back asking, ``Did he do that?''
       Polamalu's soft-spoke nature belies his fierce play, and 
     Pola said that whenever they spoke, Polamalu talked only 
     about how many of his other teammates should be going to the 
     Pro Bowl with him.
       But those who have followed Polamalu's career know his 
     instincts were apparent early. In one of his first scrimmages 
     as a freshman at U.S.C., Polamalu burst into the backfield, 
     tackled a senior running back, stripped him of the ball as he 
     was knocking him down and took off the other way.
       ``Everyone was like, `Ohmigosh, this guy has no fear,''' 
     U.S.C.'s linebackers coach, Rocky Seto, said. ``Most guys who 
     rush the quarterback--from Lawrence Taylor to Reggie White--
     they have a hunger and a desire to get there. He's not as 
     big, but Troy certainly has that fire and tenacity.''
       That tenacity is buttressed by his work habits. LeBeau said 
     that Polamalu had watched more game film than anyone, and 
     that after last season, Polamalu made a DVD of other N.F.L. 
     safeties so he could study their techniques.
       Polamalu, in just his second full season in LeBeau's 
     system, has learned to read an offense so well that LeBeau 
     feels comfortable letting him follow his gut. That, LeBeau 
     said, reminded him of how he used to feel about cornerback 
     Rod Woodson and safety Carnell Lake, former Pro Bowl Steelers 
     who also had the speed to play in the open field, the 
     strength to play at the line of scrimmage and the sense to 
     know where to go.
       ``I know Dick preaches it, you don't want a robot as a 
     player and you don't want a cowboy either,'' said Woodson, 
     who works for the NFL Network. ``You want a guy who plays 
     within the system but who can play fast. He's a gambler. 
     They're calculated risks. You study film and he believes in 
     his eyes. For Troy, they've been his friend.''
       The irony is that the gambler in Polamalu is what earned 
     him a reputation before the 2003 draft as a player who ``flew 
     up on everything,'' said Gil Brandt, who helped shape the 
     Dallas Cowboys as the vice president for player personnel 
     from 1960 to 1989 and who now writes for NFL.com. The concern 
     was that Polamalu would leave his safety position to try to 
     get closer to the ball and risk getting burned by a deep pass 
     in the process.
       Is that so wrong? Not anymore.
       ``There's an old military axiom, `Reinforce strength''' 
     LeBeau said. ``When you see a player who has a good feel for 
     things, you try not to get in his way. If they are not where 
     they are supposed to be, they better be making the play.''
       Polamalu usually is.
                                  ____

       TROY POLAMALU
       Pittsburgh Steelers/S/#43
       College: USC Rookie Yr: 2003
       Ht., Wt.: 5'10'', 212
       KIMO VON OELHOFFEN
       Pittsburgh Steelers/DT/#67
       College: Boise State Rookie Yr: 1994
       Ht., Wt.: 6'4'', 299
       CHRIS KEMOEATU
       Pittsburgh Steelers/G/#68
       College: Utah Rookie Yr: 2005
       Ht., Wt.: 6'3'', 344
       SHAUN NUA
       Pittsburgh Steelers/DE/#96
       College: Brigham Young Rookie Yr: 2005
       Ht., Wt.: 6'5'', 280
       LOFA TATUPU
       Seattle Seahawks/LB/#51
       College: USC Rookie Yr: 2005
       Ht., Wt.: 6'0'', 238
       ITULA MILI
       Seattle Seahawks/TE/#88
       College: Brigham Young Rookie Yr: 1998
       Ht., Wt.: 6'4'', 260
       WAYNE HUNTER
       Seattle Seahawks/T/#73
       College: Hawaii Rookie Yr: 2003
       Ht., Wt.: 6'5'', 303

                          ____________________