31-25. He was ranked sixth by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011. On January 31, 2011, Polamalu was named the AP Defensive Player of the Year after receiving 17 votes, beating out for the award fellow USC Trojan and Packers' linebacker Clay Matthews, who received 15 votes. He also won the NFL Alumni Player of the Year award. He won the award over Defensive Back of the Year by Aqib Talib of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 2011 On September 10, 2011, the Steelers signed Polamalu to a four-year, $36.4 million contract extension that included $10.55 million guaranteed. On October 2, 2011, Polamalu recorded a season-high nine combined tackles during a 10–17 loss to the Houston Texans. During a Week 14 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, he collected eight combined tackles, defended two passes, and made his only interception of the season in a 14–3 win. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns. He finished the season with 91 combined tackles (64 solo), 14 pass deflections, and one interception in 16 games and 16 starts. The Steelers received a playoff berth after finishing second in their division with a 12–4 record. On January 8, 2012, the Steelers faced the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wild Card Round and Polamalu made four combined tackles in their 29-23 overtime loss. The Steelers lost on the first play of overtime after Tim Tebow threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas. He was named as a First Team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl. He was ranked #19th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012. 2012 Polamalu suffered a strain calf in a practice prior to the Steelers' season-opener against the Denver Broncos. He started the game and made five solo tackles in their 31-19 loss. He further aggravated the injury during the game and left after further straining his calf muscle. On October 7, 2012, Polamalu returned and recorded two solo tackles in a 16–14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. He limped off the field in the second quarter and was unable to return. Polamalu missed the next six games (Weeks 6–12), but remained on the active roster. There were conflicting reports about whether it was a calf strain or a calf tear, but multiple media members cited it as a severe strain.