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Polamalu's back at Steelers drills ... for now
By Mark Kaboly, MCKEESPORT DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
[url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_677224.html"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 77224.html[/url]
Troy Polamalu isn't exactly a fan of the organized team activities concept — so much so that he hasn't shown up for any of the voluntary drills since early in his NFL career.
But coming off a season in which he missed 11 games with knee injuries, Polamalu had a change of heart.
"I am rediscovering old things," the safety said Monday after the Steelers' first of 14 scheduled sessions. "It feels good."
Polamalu's attendance was suggested by fourth-year coach Mike Tomlin — as it has been every offseason — and the All-Pro safety felt he needed to test the knee that sidelined him so often last year.
"Last year was disappointing," he said. "I need to get out there and see how the knee really feels in a football-type environment. You can never really simulate seven-on-seven or team drills."
Polamalu, who did not wear a knee brace yesterday even though he was encouraged to do so until the end of the preseason, injured the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in the 2009 opener against Tennessee. He returned four weeks later and helped the Steelers win three consecutive games before hurting the posterior cruciate ligament in the same knee in Week 10 against Cincinnati.
Polamalu missed the final six games, continuing a trend. He has missed 19 games in the past four seasons after not missing a game in his first three years.
Usually, Polamalu works out with fitness guru Marv Marinovich in Southern California during the offseason, staying away from the football field. He didn't rule out a return to that regimen this year. He will be at today's session and next weekend's mandatory minicamp, but the remaining 12 organized team activities that stretch through June are up in the air.
"I don't know; we will see," he said. "When you are training and you are near your family all the time, there is nothing that can really replace that. When I am here with the team, I love being around the guys."
Tomlin said he was pleasantly surprised to have Polamalu yesterday, even though he doesn't know how much longer he'll be around.
"The nature of these organized team activities are that they are voluntary," Tomlin said. "We will encourage participation, and we got it today. He looked good. It is good to have him back out there with his teammates, and he was excited to do it."
By Mark Kaboly, MCKEESPORT DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
[url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_677224.html"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 77224.html[/url]
Troy Polamalu isn't exactly a fan of the organized team activities concept — so much so that he hasn't shown up for any of the voluntary drills since early in his NFL career.
But coming off a season in which he missed 11 games with knee injuries, Polamalu had a change of heart.
"I am rediscovering old things," the safety said Monday after the Steelers' first of 14 scheduled sessions. "It feels good."
Polamalu's attendance was suggested by fourth-year coach Mike Tomlin — as it has been every offseason — and the All-Pro safety felt he needed to test the knee that sidelined him so often last year.
"Last year was disappointing," he said. "I need to get out there and see how the knee really feels in a football-type environment. You can never really simulate seven-on-seven or team drills."
Polamalu, who did not wear a knee brace yesterday even though he was encouraged to do so until the end of the preseason, injured the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in the 2009 opener against Tennessee. He returned four weeks later and helped the Steelers win three consecutive games before hurting the posterior cruciate ligament in the same knee in Week 10 against Cincinnati.
Polamalu missed the final six games, continuing a trend. He has missed 19 games in the past four seasons after not missing a game in his first three years.
Usually, Polamalu works out with fitness guru Marv Marinovich in Southern California during the offseason, staying away from the football field. He didn't rule out a return to that regimen this year. He will be at today's session and next weekend's mandatory minicamp, but the remaining 12 organized team activities that stretch through June are up in the air.
"I don't know; we will see," he said. "When you are training and you are near your family all the time, there is nothing that can really replace that. When I am here with the team, I love being around the guys."
Tomlin said he was pleasantly surprised to have Polamalu yesterday, even though he doesn't know how much longer he'll be around.
"The nature of these organized team activities are that they are voluntary," Tomlin said. "We will encourage participation, and we got it today. He looked good. It is good to have him back out there with his teammates, and he was excited to do it."
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