In all the pre-Super Bowl hoopla and all the betting on the Super Bowl information and media overload, you’re not likely to find a interesting or contradictory person or player than the Pittsburgh Steelers Troy Polamalu.

Polamalu was recently announced as the winner of the 2011 AP Defensive Player of the Year, joining fellow teammate LB James Harrison and Green Bay CB Charles Woodson as the other Defensive Player of the Year winners in this year’s Super Bowl.

Polamalu, known for his signature wild hair that hands over his name plate, his key plays and vicious hits is the last person you might expect to be playing in the NFL. If he weren’t blessed tremendous athletic talent he’d most likely be a monk right now. A soft spoken, almost monastic spiritualist off the field Polamalu shows no inclination that he makes his living by knocking people senseless.

However, on the field no player in the league –at least on the defensive side of the ball- is more important to his team than Polamalu.

If the Steelers are going to come out on top of the Super Bowl odds competition they will need yet another big game from Polamalu.

Kickoff for this Sunday February 6th matchup is set for 6:30 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Packers as a 2-point favorite with an over/under total at 44.

Anyone that has seen the Steelers play knows how important #43 is to the team’s defensive game plan.

With Polamalu in the starting lineup over the past 2 seasons the Steelers are an impressive 14-4. Without Polamalu the team is 5-7.

The numbers don’t lie.

Polamalu is arguably the most versatile defender in the league and has free reign in Dick LeBeau’s blitz happy defense. He may lineup in a 3-point stance, he may blitz from the corner, and he may hang out in deep coverage or plug the middle in run support.

It’s impossible to predict what he might do and that unpredictability seems to make opposing QBs very nervous.

And it should. The Steelers safety has made key plays late in games several times this season and has 7 INTs and 1 TD.

Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is one of the best QBs in the league but on Sunday he’ll be playing against the best defense in the league and the Steelers will be counting on Polamalu to make key plays on their way to a possible 7th Super Bowl betting win.