Troy Fautanu admired Troy Polamalu a lot while growing up. It wasn’t just because they both had Polynesian roots. It was more than that. Fautanu admired how Polamalu carried himself and played football with such passion. Polamalu’s jersey number, 43, always seemed to be involved in every play.
Fautanu used to wear No. 43 too, until his coaches at Liberty High in Henderson, Nevada, moved him to play on the offensive line when he was a sophomore. His jersey number changed, but his desire to follow in Polamalu’s footsteps remained strong.
So, when Fautanu received a call from Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin on Thursday night, telling him that the Steelers had chosen him with the 20th overall pick in the NFL draft, it felt surreal. This moment came nearly 21 years after the Steelers drafted Polamalu in the first round.
Polamalu had a remarkable career, winning two Super Bowls and earning a place in the Hall of Fame. For the 23-year-old Fautanu, his immediate focus is on working hard for the team.
“I’m just eager to give my all to this organization and get ready to put in the work,” Fautanu said.
That shouldn’t be a concern in Pittsburgh. Tomlin sees Fautanu as a tackle on the opposite side of Broderick Jones, the Steelers’ first-round pick last year.
Even though Fautanu is slightly smaller for a tackle at 6-foot-4 and 317 pounds, Tomlin doesn’t think it’s a problem. If anything, the idea that Fautanu is smaller by NFL standards might have helped him stay available until the 20th pick.
“If he were just a little taller, it wouldn’t matter,” Tomlin said. “He has long arms, and his performance on the field is very impressive.”
Fautanu’s performance was so good that Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan decided not to trade down. Fautanu’s skills, athleticism, and passion were too good to pass up.
“He was the top-rated player on our list,” Khan said. “That shows how excited we are.”
Fautanu played 15 games as a left tackle last season for the Washington Huskies, who made it to the College Football Playoff final against Michigan. He even won the Joe Moore Award, given each year to the best offensive lineman in the country.
Now, he joins a revamped offense in Pittsburgh. They signed quarterback Russell Wilson, traded for quarterback Justin Fields, and brought in former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator.
The Steelers still intend to heavily rely on their top running back duo, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, both of whom had over 1,000 total yards last season.
Before the draft, Pittsburgh had some important needs to address, such as at center after releasing Mason Cole and trading wide receiver Diontae Johnson to Carolina. While they’ll look to fill those spots later, they’re happy to have found someone like Fautanu, who could start alongside Jones for a long time.
Who plays where — Jones was at right tackle last season but prefers left tackle — will be figured out later.
Tomlin noticed Fautanu while watching Washington games last season. There was something special about how the Huskies used Fautanu in an offense with left-handed quarterback Michael Penix.
But it wasn’t just his on-field performance that impressed the Steelers. They did thorough research on Fautanu, meeting him at the NFL combine and bringing him in for a pre-draft visit.
Tomlin even used Alabama’s Pro Day to gather more information, talking to Kalen DeBoer, who moved from Washington to Alabama earlier this year. DeBoer had high praise for Fautanu’s passion and dedication to the game.
“His love for the game is evident,” Tomlin said. “It sets him apart.”
Fautanu’s arrival also means Jones might stay at right tackle next season. Dan Moore Jr., who has played 49 games at left tackle since being drafted in 2021, is in the final year of his contract.
All of that will be sorted out next month when Fautanu joins rookie minicamp. The Steelers thought about trading down from No. 20, but they decided it was too risky to lose him.
“He’s a perfect fit for the Steelers,” Tomlin said. Fautanu is also intelligent. He met Polamalu during a recruiting trip to USC a few years ago. Being in the same room as his idol left Fautanu speechless for a moment.
But that meeting didn’t convince Fautanu to choose USC. “Honestly, because I knew Troy Polamalu wasn’t going to be there every day,” Fautanu said.
He wasn’t. And while Polamalu isn’t in Pittsburgh regularly either, he and Fautanu are now connected by their heritage and their team. It’s a lot to process, which is why Fautanu became emotional when he heard Tomlin’s voice on the phone, surrounded by his family.
“I was a bit emotional,” Fautanu said. “It was nerve-wracking until that moment because you never know where you’re going to end up. And, I’m just so glad that things turned out the way they did.”
