Troy Polamalu sees his hair insured for $1 million
Troy Polamalu loves his hair and so does the company that produces a shampoo he endorses. Head and Shoulders announced Monday it has taken out a $1 million policy with Lloyd's of London on the hair of the Pittsburgh Steelers safety.
Polamalu honors his Samoan ancestry by wearing his hair long, flowing from beneath his football helmet.
However, the USC product is not the first athlete to have a body part financially protected. According to ESPN The Magazine, LA Galaxy and British national team star David Beckham had his legs insured for $78 million back in 2006. Last year, Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo had his entire lower body insured for $153 million, according to the magazine.
Polamalu isn't the first football player to get an insurance policy, although he's probably the first to insure his locks. It has been standard procedure for returning US college lettermen who are fifth-year seniors and don't enter the NFL Draft, to buy insurance as financial protection. Should they become injured during their final college season and are not able to continue their football careers, they can get an insurance pay out. Rocco Gasparro, assistant sports information director at the University of Louisville, says college football players with NFL prospects continue to do this.
If you'd like to check out Troy's hair a little more, take a look at this Head and Shoulders commercial.
