The Countdown 2010: 2 Days to Go

2: David Pollack, Defensive End #47 (2001 – 2004)

In 2001, a two-star fullback from Snellville followed his good friend David Greene to Georgia to play for new coach Mark Richt. During summer practice, David Pollack was in contention for the starting fullback spot when injuries depleted the depth chart along the defensive line. At the request of Coach Richt, he switched sides of the ball and began making an immediate impact. In 2001, Pollack played primarily defensive tackle under coordinator Brian Van Gorder. He made 5 starts and earned a spot on the All-SEC Freshman team, but few expected the amazing season Pollack would have the next fall.

2002 was a magical year for the Georgia Bulldogs and David Pollack was leader of one of the best defenses in the nation. Few people across the country knew who Pollack was, until Georgia traveled to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks. With Georgia struggling on offense, Pollack took things into his own hands (literally) and put the Dawgs on the score board:

From that point on, everyone knew about Pollack. The only problem was that no one could stop him. Georgia won its first SEC Championship in 20 years and Pollack was named the SEC Player of the Year (the first defensive player to win the award since 1988). He recorded a Georgia record 14 sacks and led the SEC in tackles for a loss with 23. He was also first team All-SEC and named an All-American.

While he may have been an obscure sophomore in 2002, every team knew who Pollack was by 2003. Despite facing constant double teams, Pollack had another great season on his way to a second straight All-American honor. He had 92 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for a loss, 2 interceptions, and 32 quarterback pressures. He was once again first team All-SEC and won the Tom Hendricks Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive end. After deciding to return for his senior season, Pollack capped his career with a banner year in ’04. He had 52 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for a loss, and 41 quarterback pressures. In his final game (the Outback Bowl) against Wisconsin, Pollack made a play similar to the one that put him on the national map. With Georgia holding a lead in the fourth quarter, he forced and recovered a fumble in midair to help seal the Georgia victory. He become only the second Georgia player to be named a three-time All American and was awarded the Lombardi Award (nation’s top lineman), Hendricks trophy, and the Bednarik Trophy (nation’s best defensive player).


David Pollack will forever be remembered for his effort and performance on the field. His motor never quit moving and he could always be seen doing jumping jacks to try and fire up the Georgia faithful. He is Georgia’s all-time leader in sacks with 36 (the third highest total in NCAA history) and tackles for a loss with 58. He also had 283 tackles and 4 interceptions in 50 games (44 as a starter). He was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. After a promising rookie season, Pollack’s football career was ended in early 2006. He suffered a broken neck in a game against the Browns and was unable to return to the playing field. After retiring from football, he found a home as a radio personality in Atlanta, teaming with Mike Bell on 790 the Zone. He can also be seen this fall calling college football games for ESPN.

LSU: 2004 Edition

I know that we posted this clip prior to the LSU game last year, but it's too good not to post it again. And we won last year after we posted it. Good vibes.

SEC Players of the Year

During Saturday's broadcast of the Tennessee-Florida match up the announcers repeatedly made a big deal about the match up between Eric Berry and Tim Tebow. Berry, arguably the best defensive player in college football, and Tebow, a Heisman trophy winner, were named the SEC Defensive and Offensive Players of the Year in 2008, respectively. Verne and Gary, on a number of occasions, mentioned that this was the first time the defending offensive and defensive players of the year in the SEC had met the following season. That is quite an amazing fact, but also consider that in 2003, Georgia had the defending SEC offensive and defensive players of the year on the field for the same team.***

Pollack and Greene

***(Greene was named Offensive Player of the year in 2002 by the SEC coaches. The Associated Press awarded the honor to Artrose Pinner of Kentucky.)

The Countdown 2009: 14 Days to Go

14

Number of sacks by David Pollack during the 2002 season in which he was named SEC Player of the Year. Pollack would become a first round draft choice by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2005 NFL Draft but his career was ended after he suffered a broken neck during a preseason game in 2006. Pollack can now be heard as a co-host on the afternoon radio show on Atlanta sports talk radio station 790 the Zone.

The Countdown 2009: 66 Days to Go

66

Number of Bulldogs selected as All-Americans, including three-time All American David Pollack.

If You Could Bring One Player Back, Who Would it Be?

The 2009 season will see Georgia attempt to replace a number of proven players in their starting line up. What would Mark Richt do if he could replace one of those holes with one of his former players? Would he pick one of his past quarterbacks to take over the reigns for Stafford, try to replace Knowshon Moreno with the starter before him, or bring back a player to fill the most glaring needs on defense? Here are some likely candidates that Richt would consider:


David Greene - Quarterback 2001-2004
With the prospects of starting a 5th year senior with limited playing time or a true freshman, Richt would be glad to welcome back the four-year starter with most wins of any quarterback in college football history. Greene would bring a calming leadership to the offense and would take advantage of receiver AJ Green with a combination of quick outs and play action passes.

David Pollack - Defensive End - 2001-2004
While Justin Houston showed some promise and Demarcus Dobbs made a couple of amazing plays, overall the defensive end position let the Dawgs down in 2008. Plugging back in a three time All-American who is the Georgia career leader in sacks would help solidify the pass rush and bring the fire back to the defense.

Thomas Brown - Running Back - 2004 -2007
A solid player during his four year career, Brown found great success when paired with Knowshon Moreno during his senior season. Pairing him with Caleb King or Richard Samuel, the Dawgs would have a nice 1-2 punch that they lacked in the '08 season.

Paul Oliver - Corner Back - 2004-2006
Oliver's career (at Georgia) was cut short when he failed to qualify academically for the 2007 season. After closing the 2006 season by shutting down Calvin Johnson, Oliver had finally reached the potential he showed coming into college. With Asher Allen gone, Oliver would provide experience that is certainly lacking in the current group of DBs.

Ben Watson - Tight End - 2002 -2004The 2008 season saw the Georgia offense forget what had been a staple of previous Mark Richt teams: throwing to the tight end. Richt's tenure has produced Leonard Pope and Randy McMichael,but the most balanced of the group was Ben Watson. The threat of a pass catching tight end over the middle would help create better match ups for the outside receivers like AJ Green and Tavarres King.

If I were Mark Richt and I had my choice from this list, I would take David Pollack. The chance to team Pollack on a defensive line that already includes Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens would be amazing. The amount of defensive pressure these three would create would generate rushed throws from opposing quarterbacks and seal up holes for opposing running games. Take the survey and let us know which player you would love for the Dawgs to have back.

GO DAWGS!!!