By announcing his retirement, former Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu made some right decisions.

First of all, Polamalu made his decision to call it quits before suffering more damage to his health. Polamalu, who turns 34 later this month, has had a history of concussions since his days at USC. He's missed at least a couple of games due to head injuries in his 12-year NFL career, and there could be more that were not officially recorded.

The more concussions you have, and the less time there is between them, the more damage your brain sustains. Polamalu often dives head-first to stop the ball carrier, and this playstyle produces more risks to his head. His decision should be welcomed by his wife and two children.