Ethical Model: Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu The player that was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers is known for his tenacity, but even better for his behavior on and off the field. Troy Polamalu is a two time Superbowl champion and the National Football League’s 2010 Defensive player of the year, but you will never hear him stating that he deserves the praise for either of these two accomplishments. The Safety is known for constantly being involved with the community and working hard to make an impact on the field, but he expects very little fanfare and publicity.
Troy is the embodiment of ethics in a sport that includes bone breaking hits and trash talkers that can rival the likes of Michael Jordan and Chad Ochocinco. He is an ethical model because of his actions on the field, his selfless attitude, and his contributions to the community. Troy Polamalu shows a lot of ethics because of his actions on the field. He did not just wake up one day and become the Defensive player of the year by doing nothing, it took him days and days of practice and hard work to earn that title.
The player is very dedicated and passionate about what he does, which are traits that very few people possess. On the field, you will never see him taking part in acts such as showboating or dancing after his team has made a game winning touchdown. His humble behavior is something that I try to model when I am playing basketball or football. I learned that it is not necessary to make the other team know how much you have excelled at your sport, if you are good then they will notice.
There is no need to make someone else feel bad because they are not as gifted as you are in some areas of life, they may still be better than you at many other activities other than sports. Furthermore, I learned that if you are good at a sport, it is not entirely because of your skills that the team is successful. The Defensive Player of the Year does not believe that he deserves the title, he believes that it is a team sport and that the award should be called Defensive Team of the Year. Troy Polamalu is very unselfish when it comes to awards and other accolades.
He is the true team player, he knows that it is a team sport and that his success comes from the team. The Pittsburgh Steelers did not win two Super Bowls because of Troy Polamalu, it was a team effort and he recognizes this every chance he gets. Even though he made the game winning touchdown that secured the Steelers a Superbowl birth in 2009, he did not want to make a big deal about it to the press. He made me realize that no matter how much you excel at different things, you are nothing without your team.
Moreover, not only was he unselfish on the field, he was very giving off the field as well. Many people nowadays only give back to the community because they want the publicity and they want to be seen as good people. When it comes to Troy, he does a lot for his community, but he does even less to let anyone know about it. What people might not know about him is that he frequently visits the local children’s hospital in his area to talk and hang out with the kids.
Also, he once worked with Nike to donate football gear to every high school in his home country of Samoa. Even though Troy is now a famous superstar, he never forgot about his culture and hometown. This is why when my fraternity and I have to do community service. I never complain or anything because it is something that I want to do to better the community. These are all examples of the ethical model that Troy Polamalu exemplifies, he is humble on and off the field, unselfish, and he is always willing to give back to those that are less unfortunate.
