Spring Break
DOGS OFF THE LEASH: Former football star Pollack now heard on the airwaves
BEN BUSSARD
Issue date: 9/16/09 Section: Sports
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A lot has changed for former Bulldog defensive end David Pollack since he was drafted 17th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2005 NFL Draft.
He's changed cities, changed job titles, gotten married and become a dad just to name a few.
But if you take a close look at the side of his neck, you'll see a scar that tells the story of Pollack's most significant change to date.
It is this scar that tells the story of how David Pollack's NFL career was cut drastically short and why this Bulldog legend has made a return to Athens.
Following a promising rookie season in which he played in 14 games, posted 28 tackles and added 4.5 sacks, it was just two games into his sophomore campaign that the Snellville native's life was abruptly altered forever.
In a Sept. 17, 2006 game against the Cleveland Browns, after making a tackle on Browns running back Reuben Droughns, Pollack realized that something wasn't quite right.
"I heard a pop and knew that something was wrong," Pollack said. "I just laid there for a second and then I realized that I couldn't turn my neck at all."
Pollack had broken his sixth cervical vertebrae and his NFL career would end less than two years later as he announced his official retirement before the start of the 2008 season.
His injury did not cause any paralysis, but the inevitable risk of a re-injury was too great according to Cincinnati team doctors.
While his NFL career proved to be shorter than expected, the four years spent roaming the field in red and black certainly brings back fond memories for the Bulldog legend.
A three-time All American and Chuck Bednarik Award winner, Pollack reminisces about his playing days at Georgia and the one day of the week that he misses most.
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