NU Online News Service, Aug. 31, 1:00 p.m. EDT
Lloyd's of London, known for insuring the body parts of celebrities and athletes, has insured the Samoan locks of Troy Polamalu of the National Football League's Pittsburgh Steelers for $1 million.
It is the first policy of its kind and protects Mr. Polamalu's hair for the entire NFL season.
Mr. Polamalu stars in several commercials for Head & Shoulders shampoo, which took out the policy with Lloyd's, according to a press release.
"In developing this unique policy, we recognize that Troy Polamalu's famed head of hair is truly legendary and we are proud to partner with Head & Shoulders to protect it," said Jonathan Watkins of Lloyd's Watkins syndicate.
Other than his All-Pro play on the gridiron as a safety, Mr. Polamalu is recognized easily by his long hair, which hangs beyond his football helmet to cover his name on the back of his jersey.
The footballer has not cut his hair in seven years. End-to-end it spans 100 football fields, the press release claims.
Lloyd's is no stranger to insuring body parts. For example, it has insured singer Tina Turner's legs and the ankles of pro baseball's Mark McGwire.
It is not known what must be done to Polamalu's hair to trigger the insurance policy. It is legal to pull hair to tackle a player in football. In fact, that happened to Mr. Polamalu in 2006, when he was dragged down by his hair after making an interception. There is also no rule about the length a player's hair can be.
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