"Steelers strong safety Ryan Clark stepped on a black stool next to his locker, looked down on a group of reporters encircling teammate Troy Polamalu and asked his own question.

"Troy, how does it feel to be the second-most attractive safety on the team, yet they put you on the shampoo commercials?" Clark inquired.

Polamalu, his hair tied into a ponytail, blushed and stammered.

Clark continued.

"Is it racist?" he asked.

Both laughed, but Polamalu, the Steelers' reticent rover, is typically the one unsettling those in his presence on the field with his quick-strike capabilities. Spiritual and soft-spoken before and after a game, he morphs into an almost mythic figure between the white lines, laying out receivers in the secondary and leaping over linemen to sack quarterbacks or prevent tailbacks from further gain. Teammates liken his instincts to "spider powers," a comparison to Spider-Man's supernatural talents.

"The first time I saw him go over the line I was like, 'What is he doing?" said fellow Steelers defensive back William Gay. "Then you know once he gets a guy.""