Steelers' Bryant McFadden Breaks Down Sharing Emotional Letter From Troy Polamalu During Final Season In 2011

"Troy and the guys witnessed my story, unfortunately through the entire year," McFadden said. "I had lost my starting job and you know the nature of the game. When you're in the tub, they're going to keep rolling and what they need to do to win ball games." 

McFadden shared the full contents of the letter which he said was a classic "Troy being Troy" move. In it, the veteran safety expressed that he envied his teammate, even though McFadden was going through a ton of adversity with the injury and the dwindling playing time. Polamalu explained that if he could persevere through the challenges he was facing, it would be more valuable than any ring or personal accolade. Polamalu wrote that he looked up to McFadden for the way he was handling the obstacles put on his path. To this day, McFadden still holds onto the letter and keeps it secure. 

"I keep this letter in a safe," McFadden said while starting to tear up. "Oftentimes, I read it. The reason why I read bro is that you didn't have to write me this letter. You didn't have to pay attention to what I was dealing with. I went from being a starter, to not even practicing. It hurt because there was nothing I could do about it. When you gave it to me, I told you thank you, but I didn't have a chance to tell you how much it really meant to me."

3 Steelers Reflect On The Brotherhood Of Football

Just like he'd written to McFadden all those years ago about winning not being everything, Polamalu said it's not championships or MVP awards that truly impress him in the sport. 

"Real men are the things that matter, not Super Bowl trophies, not the things that many people admire, especially in our profession," Polamalu said. "Real men and how they deal with adversity are things I really admire. So, for me, I always look and find those examples. Thank you [McFadden] for being that example. I wouldn't have wrote that if I didn't really admire [you]." 

Peterson said that hearing these kinds of stories on the podcast from former Steelers greats like Polamalu and Joey Porter Sr., whom he had a chance to interact with, is inspiring him to help keep the brotherhood of Steelers players strong. 

"2011 is 12 years ago and that [letter] still means so much to you," he said. "To now be in this culture and this locker room, I definitely feel that. That's what I want to instill in this new day and age of football because of things like this."             

Polumalu explained that having a Head Coach like Mike Tomlin is important for setting a standard, but it's the players who are responsible for the culture. He said that players like Joe Greene set the expectations and keep passing them on to the next generation of Steelers players. 

"Talent can win a championship, but culture is what builds dynasties," Polamalu said. "The Steelers had gotten away from that, but as it comes back, the championships will come."

McFadden elaborated that even though Peterson is entering his first season with Pittsburgh, he's already got this built-in understanding of what it means to be a part of Steelers culture. He continued that even though he might not communicate daily with Polamalu anymore, they're still as close as ever and if one calls the other needing something, they'll be right there to help. 

A letter to a teammate at Christmas may seem like a small insignificant gesture, but in this case, it represents more. It symbolizes the importance of a strong culture and the brotherhood that is Steelers football. 

How did you feel as McFadden teared up sharing that personal letter from Polamalu? What stood out to you from it?