Tom Brady lobbies hard for Troy Polamalu to get into NFL Hall of Fame

Once bitter conference rivals on the football field, Tom Brady now has come out in strong support of Troy Polamalu’s Hall of Fame candidacy.

It wasn’t a huge surprise when New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady penned an eloquent but persuasive letter on behalf of his former teammate, cornerback Ty Law, when the latter was a finalist for the NFL’s Hall of Fame a year ago. After all, Brady and Law played together for a number of years on the Patriots, and they even helped each other win Super Bowl rings.

What is now a bit more surprising to the casual football fan or outside observer is to learn that Brady is passionately making a case for a player who once made life difficult for him – former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.

According to Bleacher Report’s Rob Goldberg, Brady has been one of the earliest – and the staunchest – advocates for Polamalu’s candidacy as a potential Hall of Famer this year. It’s the safety’s first year of eligibility to get enshrined in Canton, Ohio, and if Brady has anything to say about it, Polamalu will go in as a first-ballot pick.

Brady called Polamalu “one of the most instinctive and disruptive players I have ever played against,” per a tweet from Bert Lauten. He also praised Polamalu’s “incredible athleticism” and his “unpredictability” out on the field.

Polamalu will face stiff competition from 14 other potential inductees this year, including from fellow safeties John Lynch, Steve Atwater, and LeRoy Butler. He is also joined by ex-Indianapolis Colts receiving star Reggie Wayne as the only two players on the list in 2020 who are in their first year of eligibility.

This year’s crop of finalists features just one player with any kind of ties to the Patriots: Richard Seymour, the standout defensive lineman who also played for the Oakland Raiders. This is Seymour’s second chance at enshrinement.