The 49ers have had one of the best defenses in the NFL through three weeks in 2022. A lot of it is because stalwart starters like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Arik Armstead have been enjoying strong seasons.
However, the team has also seen some less-familiar faces play well to begin the season. One of those is starting safety Talanoa Hufanga.
Hufanga, a fifth-round draft pick out of USC in 2021, moved into the starting lineup to begin the year after the team parted with Jaquiski Tartt during the 2022 NFL offseason. So far, Hufanga has been nothing short of excellent and has drawn plenty of comparisons to a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
That would be Troy Polamalu.
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The Polamalu/Hufanga comparisons first started circulating during the 49ers' 11-10 "Sunday Night Football" loss to the Broncos. Cris Collinsworth mentioned Hufanga frequently and invoked Polamalu's name while hinting that his company, Pro Football Focus, may have to bump Hufanga up to No. 1 in its safety rankings.
And after that contest, two more Hall of Fame-caliber players, Charles Woodson and Richard Sherman, also noted that they saw a lot of Polamalu's game in Hufanga.
Hes doing his best impression isnt he! https://t.co/907hihG0nN
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) September 26, 2022
Even one of Polamalu's former teammates — safety Ryan Clark, who is now an ESPN analyst — can see what all of the buzz around Hufanga is about.
"I can’t call it a lazy comparison, because it all fits,” Clark said, per The Mercury News.
Indeed, the comparison is a strong one, and there is a reason for it. Polamalu has actually served as a mentor to Hufanga, and the two work together on Hufanga's game during the offseason. Here's a breakdown of that relationship and how it has helped Hufanga reach new heights in his second season.
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What Troy Polamalu, 49ers have said about Talanoa Hufanga
Clark explained that the relationship between Polamalu and Hufanga is a strong one. Why? Because Hufanga is an eager learner who does what it takes to find success.
"Troy’s words to me last night were, '[Hufanga is] the perfect pupil,'" Clark told the Mercury News via phone interview. "He does everything right. Anything you tell him that can make him better, he implements it, whether it’s the amount of sleep he gets, the amount of film he watches, the workouts he does, what he eats and the way he takes care of his body.
Literally everything I’ve told him to do that could make him better, he’s been willing to put 100 percent effort into it.
Per Clark, Hufanga's appreciation and respect of Polamalu's help has gone a long way toward strengthening that bond.
"If you’re around Troy, you understand how passionate he is about the game,” Clark said. “Talanoa knows Troy does not need to be doing this with his life. This is not something he charges for. The respect level and the way he understands what he’s being told and who is telling him is one reason there is such a level of maturity in him."
That respect, curiosity and coachability have all carried over to his time on the field with the 49ers. And that, in defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryan's estimation, is part of what is putting Hufanga on the path to greatness.
"He asks questions and I’m like, bring it on,'" Ryans said. "You want guys who want to know why. Like, 'Why are we doing this?' instead of 'I’m doing something just because the coach told me to do it.' That’s what separates Huf and why he’s sticking out amongst everybody because he’s asking those questions."
The 49ers can thank Polamalu, in part, for helping instill those traits in Hufanga.
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Talanoa Hufanga describes training with Troy Polamalu
Hufanga called it an "honor" to train with Polamalu during the early stages of his career. The relationship between the two started to blossom when he declared for the 2021 NFL Draft and Polamalu coached him before that.
At that time, Hufanga explained that Polamalu worked with him not only on his physical game, but also his mind. The veteran safety had Hufanga reading books, assessing his diet and "being present in the moment," as Hufange revealed in a pre-draft interview.
Of course, they have worked together on the field as well. And that's part of why Hufanga acknowledged that the comparison between the Hall of Famer and himself is sensible, at least from a playing style standpoint.
"It makes sense that I play like I do because I train with him," Hufanga told The Mercury News. "You try to mimic someone’s game as much as you can, and you hope to see the results. By no means am I comfortable where I’m at. I’ve got a lot of room to grow and have to continue to grind. I’m very blessed to be around him.
Hufanga explained that Polamalu has pointed out a lot of areas in which he can improve. The second-year safety hasn't let that get him down, though. Instead, he views it as a positive.
“He critiques everything, and is a harsh critic,” he said of Polamalu. “He sees the game from a different perspective and he’s never really satisfied with my performances. Training with him is very different. A lot of it has to do with your mind.
He’s a different cat, for sure. He not only understands the game, but what life is all about.
One of the most important lessons that Hufanga said he learned from Polamalu is to just see the game. He believes that playing at a high level in the NFL is about both doing your job and taking risks when it is appropriate.
Polamalu used to do that when he would time the opponent's snap count and try to jump into the backfield. But he was able to do that because he did the other aspects of his job so well and didn't let those attempts become a detriment.
Hufanga is sure that he will learn more lessons like that from Polamalu as the two continue to work together.
“He’s a guy that played 12 years,” Hufanga said of Polamalu. “I’m only in Year 2, and I’ve got a lot of room for improvement."
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Talanoa Hufanga stats
Through three games, Hufanga has been an impactful, do-it-all player for the 49ers. He has been excellent against the run and the pass and is on pace to post a 119-tackle, six-interception season.
| Stat | Total |
| Tackles | 21 |
| Tackles for loss | 4 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Pass defenses | 3 |
| PFF Rank | 6th of 81 |
Hufanga has already set career-best marks in tackles for loss, interceptions and pass defenses. He needs just 12 more tackles to set a career-high in that mark as well.
How has he surpassed his rookie-season totals so quickly? Simple. He played 100 percent of the 49ers' snaps in their first three games in 2022. In 2021, he play just 36.4 percent of defensive snaps over the entire season.
As such, Hufanga was more of a special teams ace and top-tier backup safety for the 49ers. That's why he was involved in the team's all-important blocked punt touchdown in their playoff win over the Packers.
WHAT A HEADS UP PLAY BY THE ROOK @TalanoaHufanga 🤙#SFvsGB on FOX/49ers App pic.twitter.com/yzP6NAqWgW
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 23, 2022
Still, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan believes that Hufanga probably deserved a bigger role last season despite being a fifth-round rookie.
“We should have played him a lot more last year,” he said.