By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer

As the Pittsburgh Steelers steamrolled their way to the Super Bowl title, there was one player who stood out above all of the others.

No, it wasn’t future Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis. It wasn’t quarterback Ben Roethlisberger or receiver Hines Ward. Even brash linebacker Joey Porter wasn’t the man stealing the spotlight.

Instead, it was safety Troy Polamalu, the wild-haired wild man of a wrecking ball throwing himself at running backs, receivers and quarterbacks all through the playoff. Polamalu was so omnipresent it seemed as though he were in two or three places at once some times.

Such is the evolution of the safety position. Once simply known as the last line of defense, safeties are now asked to do a number of things, blitz, cover, stuff the run. They also line up in a number of positions, whether it is up in the box, at the line of scrimmage or in the secondary.

The man who could be the next in a line of evolutionary safeties comes from national champion Texas. Michael Huff was the Swiss Army knife of the Longhorns’ defense, working in and excelling in many areas of the game just like Polamalu or Ed Reed or any of the other safeties grabbing headlines in the NFL.

“I think it’s kind of a new breed of safeties with myself and Polamalu and Ed Reed,” Huff said. “We can do more than just stay in the back and hit. We have to cover and blitz and do all of that and that’s what I can do.”

Indeed, Huff is clearly the most talented defensive back in this year’s draft class. The only real question is whether he will play cornerback or safety in the NFL. The Rams, for example, think highly of Huff and would certainly take him should he fall to No. 11, but some members of the staff view him as a corner and others view him as a safety.

Of course, if having to choose which position Huff will lock down for the next 10 years is the biggest concern you have then Huff should do just fine in the NFL. Although Huff likes the idea of fitting in the mold of the Reeds and Polamalus of the league, he doesn’t care much what position he plays in the NFL.

“I just love being on the field so wherever a team needs me,” Huff said. “I’ll play corner, safety, linebacker. It doesn’t matter as long as I’m on the field.”

To Huff, it really doesn’t matter who is on the other side. And that attitude extended to his coaches at Texas. Put simply, if you had the ability to make a big play, chances were good that Huff would be lined up opposite you.

USC’s Reggie Bush, Ohio State’s Ted Ginn, Oklahoma’s Mark Clayton, the list goes on and on with impact players that Huff has been assigned to. More often than not, Huff and the Longhorns came out with the victory.

Take his battle with Clayton as a junior for example. Clayton was widely considered one of the top receivers in the country and would eventually be a first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens. To this day, Huff calls Clayton the best receiver he has had to cover.

Almost certainly, Clayton talks about Huff in the same reverential tones. Clayton finished that day with three catches for 19 yards.

It didn’t hurt Huff’s coverage skills that he spent most of his time at Texas going up against some of the best receivers in the country. More often than not, that receiver was Texas star and current Detroit Lion Roy Williams.

“I was going up against one of the best receivers in the nation ever,” Huff said. “So you go against him every day then it makes you better than I would have by myself. Every day he brought his A game so every day I had to bring my A game. It just made me better as a person on and off the field.”

Whatever it was, Huff was without question the next in a line of talented Texas defensive backs to make his mark. Following in the recent footsteps of Quentin Jammer and Nathan Vasher, Huff earned a reputation for making big plays.

On his way to the Jim Thorpe award as the nation’s top defensive back last year, Huff racked up 109 tackles, 10 for loss, two sacks, 14 pass breakups and an interception. All told, Huff finished his college career with five touchdowns, four on interception returns and blocked three kicks.

“I love getting in the end zone,” Huff said. “I guess that’s just my offensive mind. I was a receiver in high school. I just want to get the ball in my hands and score.”

Make no mistake; Huff’s physical attributes go beyond his nose for the ball and the end zone. After an impressive workout at the scouting combine in February, Huff solidified himself as the top defensive back in the draft. In Indianapolis, Huff clocked a 4.35 in the 40-yard dash.

Combining that kind of speed with his 6-foot, 203 pound frame makes Huff an ideal candidate to be a shutdown cornerback in the NFL. But if you look at his tackling ability, maybe safety should be where he ultimately lands.

“I love making plays, getting out there and doing what I can whether it’s hitting somebody across the middle or getting a pick and scoring or blocking a punt,” Huff said. “Whatever play the team needs, that’s what I do.”

Although Huff insists he doesn’t care what position he plays in the pros, there is a part of him that will flash back to the playoffs and watching Polamalu make all of those plays, earning credibility for more than his long hair.

It is that part of Huff that wouldn’t mind being the next step in the evolution of the safety.

“It just goes back to Ed Reed and Polamalu, just their success at safety and our position on the field,” Huff said. “We are the last line of defense and we do it all. The success they are having, I just hope that I can learn that position and hopefully safeties will be high draft picks from now on.”