Steelers Legends Troy Polamalu and Dick LeBeau Are So Similar In Personality; Should They Ask Him To Pick Up A Clipboard In 2023?

Dick LeBeau also has a gold jacket. He was elected in 2010 for a stellar playing career with the Detroit Lions. He was a three-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro cornerback. LeBeau had 62 interceptions which is still the Lions franchise record and good enough for seventh in NFL history. He was a great player, but he may have been an even better coach. A speech he gave at a ceremony honoring Hall of Fame inductee Troy Polamalu recently resurfaced on Twitter to remind everyone just how special his relationship was with his players:

“Lord, you been pretty good to me,” LeBeau said. “I’ve seen all these great players, I wonder if you couldn’t just give me one to coach here. Well, he give me Rod Woodson, he was up here, he gave me Carnell Lake. Rod’s in the Hall of Fame and Carnell ought to be. I sure enjoyed working with those men.”

Bill Cowher hired LeBeau as his secondary coach in 1992 as a member of his defensive coaching staff. The staff included Dom Capers and Marvin Lewis who both went on to become NFL head coaches. LeBeau developed the defensive backfield during his first few seasons into maybe the best top to bottom secondary the Steelers ever trotted out on Sundays. LeBeau is widely credited with being the father of the Blitzburgh defense and in his first year of being a defensive coordinator, the Steelers returned to the Super Bowl after a 16-year absence. They came up short in that Super Bowl, but LeBeau would have other opportunities to help Pittsburgh win the big game:

“A few years went by, and you know how people are,” LeBeau continued. “I said Lord, could you maybe just give me one player that had a little bit of all those guys in him. And is also one of the greatest guys I have ever known in my life? He gave me Troy Polamalu.”

Polamalu and LeBeau were a match made in heaven for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former USC Trojan was the Steelers first-round draft pick in the 2003 NFL Draft and like most rookies in the complicated Pittsburgh defense that LeBeau coordinated, struggled mightily during his first season. In today’s environment of endless debate shows and social media, he would have made the treatment of Devin Bush look like unconditional support.

Thankfully, LeBeau and Cowher didn’t give up on him. He rewarded them with five straight Pro Bowl appearances and four All-Pro selections. The Steelers also won two Super Bowls during those years. He suffered a career-threatening knee injury in 2009, but returned to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2010 and put together back-to-back All-Pro seasons. Lingering injuries starting in 2012 eventually forced him into retirement after the 2014 season.

Steelers All Time Greatest Players Part 2: Troy Polamalu And Rod Woodson, Who Was More Dominant?

LeBeau and Polamalu were kindred spirits who both were soft-spoken team leaders with gentle off field manners. On Sunday afternoon, they both transformed into ferocious warriors on the gridiron, who played their positions as well or better than anyone in NFL history. LeBeau turned in his cleats for a clipboard after his legendary career and became the best defensive coordinator in NFL history.

Polamalu has not shown overt interest in coaching football, but his uncle Kennedy Polamalu is a longtime NFL and NCAA coach. He is currently the running backs coach for the Las Vegas Raiders and the league’s leading rusher, Josh Jacobs. If he so desired, it is not hard to envision the former Steelers legend earning a job on an NFL staff, but since his retirement in 2015, except for a brief stint as the Alliance of American Football’s Head of Player Relations, he has not been involved in football.

Based on the success of LeBeau and his opinion of Polamalu, it may just be a matter of time before he returns to an NFL or an NCAA sideline. Steelers players revere LeBeau, not only for his knowledge of the game, but for his demeanor, inspiring a genuine love among his players.

Polamalu has the same demeanor and with the modern player needing a gentler approach, he may just be a phone call away from a great second act of his own in the NFL. Maybe the Steelers should pick up the phone before someone else makes the connection.