Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson’s Bathroom Call from Arizona Set Steelers Up for Plan B: Troy Polamalu

[Steeler Nation]

The 2002 Pittsburgh Steelers made the playoffs despite finishing with the worst pass defense in over a decade. But in the playoffs, it only got worse as they surrendered 740 yards and five touchdowns in only two games.

Bill Cowher and Kevin Colbert knew they had to begin making changes to the secondary and their first decision was to let Lee Flowers depart in free agency as they targeted Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Colbert was under the impression they had a verbal agreement with Jackson as the two camps were meeting at the Steelers facility until fate intervened. Reportedly, Jackson excused himself from Steelers officials to take a call from the Arizona Cardinals, prompting numerous rumors that Jackson snuck into the Steelers bathroom to discuss the Cardinals latest offer and promptly left the Steelers facility afterwards.

The next day, the Steelers were informed the Cardinals offer made Jackson the highest paid safety in NFL history at the time. Cowher was particularly furious with Jackson’s agent Peter Schaffer as he felt deliberately misled the Steelers and orchestrated a bidding war.

Whether or not there was anything true remains speculation. However, there is one irrefutable source who definitively spoke to Jackson that day, current Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who was his positional coach in Tampa.

Mike Tomlin, per Polamalu: The Inspirational Story of Pittsburgh Steelers Safety Troy Polamalu by Jim Wexell:

“Interesting, isn’t it? It was evident that Dexter was leaving. I didn’t know where he was going. I really didn’t think about the relevance of the sub-plot of all of that until much later once I got here. I remember talking to Dexter Jackson when he was in a bathroom on his visit in Pittsburgh. He was just letting me know how the day was going.”

With Jackson out, the Steelers decided to go to the NFL Draft for plan B and placed their focus on USC safety Troy Polamalu. Because of college injuries, standing only 5’11” (shorter than any 1st round safety drafted in over a decade) and an overall manner that eschewed fame, there wasn’t a strong consensus on where Polamalu would fall in the 2003 NFL Draft. But like Cowher and Colbert, Tomlin saw Polamalu as a future star, but also knew he wouldn’t be around to draft late in the first round. But Cowher and Colbert had decided that Polamalu was their man, and particularly after a phenomenal Pro Day, Colbert had his staff calling teams in order to increase their chances of drafting the safety from USC.

Thanks to the relationship between Carl Peterson and Cowher, the Steelers were able to convince the Kansas City Chiefs they were not targeting Larry Johnson, enabling the Steelers to move up 11 spots so as to draft the first Hall of Famer from the 2003 NFL Draft. Consensus around the team was extremely positive.

Kevin Colbert, per Polamalu: The Inspirational Story of Pittsburgh Steelers Safety Troy Polamalu by Jim Wexell:

“Everybody here liked Troy. It didn’t seem like there was a hole in his play. After we picked him, I told the media, ‘This kid plays safety like a linebacker.’ He was unique. The linebacker physicality with corner athleticism? That’s hard to find.”

Bill Cowher, per Polamalu: The Inspirational Story of Pittsburgh Steelers Safety Troy Polamalu by Jim Wexell:

“We had Carnell Lake, and when we lost him, we kind of lost a lot of the flexibility we wanted in our defense, having a strong safety who could cover guys. We wanted to get back to that with Troy.”

Joey Porter, per Polamalu: The Inspirational Story of Pittsburgh Steelers Safety Troy Polamalu by Jim Wexell:

“I had never heard of Troy when he was at SC, but Cowher was fired up. I remember certain people in the building being super excited and I didn’t know what the buzz was about. I called a buddy who played at San Diego State against Troy, and he said, ‘Man, you guys just picked up a real good safety. This dude’s crazy good. He’s just a normal-looking guy and you don’t know he’s that fast.’”

Polamalu had a particular fan who took issue with how long it took for him to be drafted, his college roommate: Carson Palmer.

Carson Palmer, per Polamalu: The Inspirational Story of Pittsburgh Steelers Safety Troy Polamalu by Jim Wexell:

“I was in New York for the draft, and I couldn’t believe Troy was not a top-10 pick. They kept calling other names and I was thinking, ‘Man, this is crazy. This guy is the best football player I’ve ever seen, played against, played with, whatever.’ He finally went to the Steelers, and then it took me a little while to realize, ‘Wait a minute. I’m going to have to play against him twice a year in our division!’”

The story of drafting Troy Polamalu was a certainly a unique one. What was your take on it at the time? Click to comment below!

#SteelerNation

Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..

 

[Steelr4evr]

I had zero idea who he even was. His intuition and athletic ability has no match.

 

[bermudasteel]

That was a very nice read...

 

[Fiji Mariner]

he really could've been something special if not for the enormously large head

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

So Dexter is responsible for the Steelers getting both Polamalu and Tomlin

 

[Ike Kelly]

I remember watching Troy in 2001 as a Junior. He had two pick sixes and Carroll had him playing Safety, Corner, Rover and Spy. Fast as hell too. Woodson fast. Joel Buchsbaum at PFW (the best independent player evaluator ever) noted Troy was going to be a special player. Then in 2002 he was just everywhere in games making plays behind and on the line, plus any location beyond the LOS. Just a whirlwind on defense. When USC beat the Hawkeyes in the Orange Bowl that year, I figured we had no shot at Troy as he was going to be a top 10 pick easy. When we traded up I couldn’t believe it and was smiling like the cat caught with the bird in his mouth knowing he was going to be special. I’m so glad he proved it right.