Troy Polamalu fined by NFL with $10,000 for using the cell phone from the sidelines.
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu has been fined by NFL with $10,000 for using the cell phone from the sidelines after brutal hit during the game.
Troy Polamalu was forced to leave Sunday’s game against the Jaguars after stopping Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew to help preserve a 17-13 Pittsburgh win.
Fearing his wife Theodora probably saw the hit on TV, Troy Polamalu was handed a cell phone by the team doctor to call and say he was all right.
Troy Polamalu has been fined by NFL with $10,000 for using the cell phone from the sidelines to call his wife Theodora after brutal hit during the game
Troy Polamalu, who was the defensive player of the year in 21010, has a history of concussions in his nine-year NFL career, and wanted to ease his wife worries.
But the NFL did not appreciate Troy Polamalu’s gesture, slapping him with a $10,000 fine.
According to NFL rules, phones are prohibited in the bench area before and during games.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s decision to fine Troy Polamalu came as a surprise, at least to his coach.
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin quickly came to his player’s defense, saying: “He wasn’t checking on his bank account.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell’s history with Pittsburgh Steelers is a long story.
Roger Goodell issued a four-game suspension to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and $100,000 in fines for hits by James Harrison in 2010.
However, Troy Polamalu did not appear to be affected by the $10,000 fine.
Besides his NFL salary, Troy Polamalu earns a plenty of money from his shampoo commercials.
But Troy Polamalu’s case is not a singular one, also Joe Horn pulled out a phone after scoring a touchdown for the New Orleans Saints in 2003 and calling from the end zone to tell his wife and kids about it.
That gesture – part of a string of over-the-top touchdown celebrations that the NFL promptly cracked down on – cost Joe Horn $30,000 and may have been the most expensive phone call ever.
Troy Polamalu will play today against Arizona after passing a series of concussion tests.