The countdown to USC’s 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 43 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. Today, we look at USC Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu.

Position: Safety

Years played at USC: 1999-2002

Career highlights: Polamalu played USC from 199 through 2002. He finished his career in Cardinal and Gold with 281 tackles and six interceptions. A two-time team captain, Polamalu was named an All-American following both the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

In 2019, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

After USC: The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Polamalu with the 16th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. He would go on to play 12 seasons in the NFL, all with Pittsburgh. During his career, he was named to eight Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-Pro four times and second-team All-Pro twice. Polamalu helped lead the Steelers to victories in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.

In 2020, Polamalu was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football countdown to kickoff recalls Trojans safety Troy Polamalu