David
Pollack, University of Georgia
 David
Pollack's impact at the University of Georgia can be measured in several
ways. You can add up his 34 career sacks, which established a school
record. You can compile a list of his national honors, which now includes
the Maxwell Club's 10th annual Chuck Bednarik Award as the outstanding
defensive player in college football for 2004.
But you can also study a photo of any Georgia home game and count all the
No. 47 jerseys in the crowd. Undergrads and old grads, young people and
old people, they all loved David Pollack. The 6-2, 265-pound defensive end
finished his career as one of the most popular players in school history.
"People love him because he's got that reckless abandon," said David
Greene, the Georgia quarterback who was Pollack's roommate and best friend
for the past four years.
"No matter what he does, he wants to win," said teammate Kedric Golston.
"If you're swimming, he wants to swim faster. If you're driving, he wants
to drive faster. If you jump off a building, he wants to jump off a higher
building. You need those types of guys in the world. They set the
standard."
Pollack set the standard for Georgia defenders, earning All-America honors
and helping the Bulldogs compile a 42-10 record over the past four
seasons. He finished his career on a high note, earning Most Valuable
Player honors in the Outback Bowl as the Bulldogs defeated Wisconsin,
24-21. Pollack had three sacks in the game and forced a critical fumble to
preserve the victory for Georgia, which finished the season with a 10-3
record.
Pollack was recruited as a fullback, that's how he wound up with jersey
No. 43. However, he was switched to the defensive line as a freshman,
started at tackle, then was moved to end. He had 14 sacks in his first
full season as a starter to lead the Southeastern Conference and rank
seventh in the nation. He continued adding to that total despite teams
assigning two and sometimes three men to block him.
Coach Mark Richt admits he never imagined Pollack would develop into such
a dominant player. He originally thought Pollack would be "a good program
guy," in other words, a hard worker who carried out his assignments
without attracting much attention. Said Richt: "I had no idea he would
make the impact he has."
As a sophomore, Pollack made a play that is now part of Georgia football
legend. He hit South Carolina quarterback Corey Jenkins, knocked the ball
loose and caught it, all in one motion, to score a touchdown that won the
game and enabled the Bulldogs to earn their first SEC championship in 20
years.
"It was jaw-dropping, it was Superman-like," wrote Matthew Zemek in his
Fox Sports on-line column. "David Pollack stole a win and stole the hearts
of every man, woman and child in Athens, Georgia."
In December, Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly wrote: "David Pollack
is the best pure football player in the country. He's a relentless rusher
with a motor that never stops and excellent football instincts. He has
been matched up against big, athletic tackles his entire career and finds
a way to be productive every game he plays. He has proven he could play
the run strong and wears down offensive tackles with his tenacity."
Nawrocki concluded: "He will be a coveted player in the NFL draft -- the
type that scouts fall in love with -- and it will be a surprise if he is
still available midway through the first round."
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