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Former USC Great Troy Polamalu Cuts Locks For A Cause

Jared Wickerham

To honor our nation's real heroes, future USC and NFL Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu cut his hair to raise money for veterans and their families.

Polamalu hadn't put a scissor to his hair in over a decade, and decided to team up with Head & Shoulders to raise awareness for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation bringing in over $200,000 in donations.

Let's not forget that over on the field, Polamalu recorded three tackles and a pass deflection in the Steelers 23-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills. This highlighting another strong showing for USC to the NFL during Week 10.

Here's an interview with GQ Magazine describing the entire experience.

GQ: A growing number of athletes, especially in the MLB, have been growing out their beards for superstitious reasons. Do you feel that way about your hair at all?

Troy Polamalu: No, my hair is more like an appendage that's been growing and I don't want to lose it. I definitely wouldn't be cutting my hair if it weren't to help raise awareness and support the cause.

GQ: It's been 12 years since you had a cut. What was the occasion last time?

Polamalu: I actually had put chemical straighteners in it, which was a bad idea. And then my coach in college also asked me to cut it.

GQ: Will this affect the $1,000,000 insurance policy on your hair?

Polamalu: What they're cutting is probably about $100,000 worth of hair. (Laughs.) No, no it's fortunately not.

GQ: Are there any benefits to having big hair in football?

Polamalu: I used to think it provided cushioning for inside my helmet, but now it all falls out the back, so I'm not sure.