IP #20

Isaiah Pola-Mao

Safety · USC

A former USC safety with elite defensive bloodlines who broke out with a career year and an AFC Defensive Player of the Week nod.

Isaiah Pola-Mao overcame two season-ending shoulder surgeries early in his college career at USC to become a starting NFL safety, carrying on a family legacy as the nephew of Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu. After years as a special teamer and reserve, he broke through as a full-time starter in the Raiders' secondary.

★ AFC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 16, 2024)

★ Career-high 85 tackles and six passes defensed (2024)

★ First USC player in 20-plus years with interceptions in three straight games (2019)

Path to the league

Pola-Mao played four seasons at USC, appearing in 32 games with 29 starts and totaling 178 tackles, five interceptions and four fumble recoveries at free safety. As a sophomore in 2019 he intercepted passes in three straight games, becoming the first USC player to do so in over 20 years. He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2022.

Career highlights

Pola-Mao spent his first two NFL seasons as a reserve and special teams contributor before earning a full-time starting role in 2024. That season he set career highs with 14 starts, 85 tackles, six passes defensed and two forced fumbles, and he earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 16 after a nine-tackle, two-forced-fumble performance, becoming just the seventh Raiders safety to win the award.

2025 season recap

Pola-Mao continued to serve as a starting safety for the Raiders in 2025, building on the breakout production of his 2024 campaign as a key piece of Las Vegas's secondary.