Troy being Troy: Polamalu carves singular path to Hall

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers, like most NFL teams, enter the draft with a group of players they’d like to find a way to land with their first pick. “Kevin just felt like he was going to be a really special player,” said Art Rooney II, Pittsburgh’s vice-president at the time. Polamalu — who is to be inducted in a class that includes former Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher and longtime Steelers defensive back Donnie Shell — didn’t necessarily think he would ever be heading to Canton following a rocky first season he called both humbling and humiliating. “ ‘Listen, man, either you’re going to go all-in on this or all-out because if you’re not all-in on this, then there may not be a career,’” Polamalu said. “And once we stepped off the field, he was as gentle and humble a person as you’ll find.” During the end of a mundane minicamp in the spring of 2012, Polamalu found himself walking off the field with defensive back Myron Rolle.