Local Talent Keeps Draft Pool Filled to Brim

Troy Polamalu played hurt during most of USC’s resurgent season and was despondent for weeks after sitting out nearly the entire Orange Bowl.

But the two-time All-American safety felt only joy on Saturday after the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up and selected him in the first round of the NFL draft with the 16th pick.

“This is one of the most historic teams in football and you’re talking about some great defenses through the years,” said Polamalu, amid a celebration with about 100 friends and relatives.

“It’s very similar to the tradition USC carries in college football. I’m looking forward to being part of something special.”

Polamalu is the first USC defensive back to be chosen in the first round since the Chicago Bears took Mark Carrier with the sixth pick in 1990.

Trojan quarterback Carson Palmer’s selection as the No. 1 pick by the Cincinnati Bengals gave USC two first-round selections for the first time since 1986, when the New York Jets took receiver Keyshawn Johnson with the first pick and the Green Bay Packers chose tackle John Michels 27th.

California quarterback Kyle Boller, who played at Newhall Hart High, was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 19th pick, and Cal defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha, who played at Harbor City Narbonne, was chosen 31st by the Oakland Raiders. Green Bay selected Oregon State linebacker Nick Barnett (Fontana A.B. Miller High) 29th.

UCLA tight end Mike Seidman and cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. were selected in the third round by the Carolina Panthers. USC running back Justin Fargas also was taken in the third round by the Raiders.

Polamalu said he was driving on the freeway to a family gathering in La Crescenta when the Steelers, who started with the 27th pick, called his cell phone to tell him they were trading up 11 picks to take him. The Steelers, who ranked 20th against the pass last season, needed a safety after they chose not to re-sign Lee Flowers.

Pittsburgh has a long history of trading down to add picks. But this time the Steelers moved up to select Polamalu, trading spots with the Kansas City Chiefs by giving up their third- and sixth-round picks.

“He has unique ability to cover like a cornerback and hit like a linebacker,” Steeler Coach Bill Cowher said.

Polamalu’s draft status was questionable because hamstring and ankle injuries forced him to sit out all or part of three games, among them the Trojans’ 38-17 victory over Iowa in the Orange Bowl.

Polamalu got in for only two plays against the Hawkeyes because his left leg went numb when a team doctor inadvertently hit a nerve while administering a pain-killing injection after warm-ups. Polamalu missed the Senior Bowl, which doubles as an NFL showcase, and did not work out at the scouting combine in February at Indianapolis.

But Polamalu erased doubts and reestablished his stock with an outstanding workout at a pro scouting day in March at USC.

“I never worked so hard to get ready for something,” said Polamalu, who will travel to Pittsburgh on Thursday. “After the Orange Bowl and missing the Senior Bowl, I made a huge commitment to get prepared for the pro day at USC. I’m just so happy that God graced me with a good workout.”

Seidman was the 76th overall choice and Manning went six picks later after Carolina traded for Denver’s third-round pick to get him. They will be reunited with former UCLA running back DeShaun Foster, the Panthers’ first-round pick last season.

“That is awesome, I freaked out when Ricky went to the Panthers too,” Seidman said. “We’ll have a little UCLA gathering in Charlotte.”

Both players were drafted despite issues that clouded their status.

Manning faces trial for felony assault May 6 and Seidman is recovering from a hernia operation that limited his workouts for scouts.

Fargas, who overcame a potential career-ending leg injury suffered at Michigan and flourished in the second half of his only season at USC, was ecstatic after the Raiders selected him with the 96th pick.

“When they called, the whole house lit up and everybody went crazy because we all had our mind set on the Raiders,” Fargas said. “To come such a long way and have this happen is so rewarding.”

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Staff writer Steve Henson contributed to this report.