So as many of you know, Troy Polamalu has decided to hang them up and today Ike Taylor announced his retirement too. It is the end of an era and the close of one of the great partnerships in football history. I thought about the year they were both drafted and my draft day story.
I was in NYC and actually at Radio City Music Hall on the day of the draft, that’s the good news, the bad news I was seeing “Dora the Explorer” live on stage, (Which my kid was terrified of.) and the draft was still at the Sheraton, NY. Since the Steelers were drafting so late there was no way I could miss the Steelers pick. However, for the first time in team history, The Steelers traded up in the first round, giving its 27th, 92nd (third round) and 200th (sixth round) picks to Kansas City in exchange for the 16th pick in the draft. I missed the pick!
The Steelers selection Troy Polamalu! At that moment Steelers history was made and the journey started for Troy and the Steelers. His career has been an amazing highlight reel of high flying plays and timely stops.
The Steelers whiffed on pick 2 at 59. Alonzo Jackson was a washout at best. They had no pick in the 3rd round so that made the 4th extremely important. Guess what they did it? They nailed it, in the 4th round they grabbed Ike Taylor at 125 overall. Taylor’s career was unspectacular but still excellent and he is one of the key contributors to the Steelers success. 
The Steelers had 1/2 of their base secondary for the next decade or so. The rest of the draft was a bust, the Steelers missed on three of the five players taken but they hit HR’s on the two they got right.
Troy is a sure Hall of Famer and Ike is a step below, but both deserve our admiration and respect. They helped lead us to two Super Bowl victories and three AFC Championships. The defense in their tenure ranks number one overall. Most of all they both represented everything a Steelers should be, humble greatness, punishing defense and a reserved dignity!