When David Pollack put on his pads for the University of Georgia, he was one of the top college football players in the country. Whether it was at defensive end or linebacker, nobody could stop him. There's no doubt he was on a path to greatness, but one play changed his life forever. Don't head over to Wikipedia. We've got you covered.
In a 2006 National Football League game between his Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns, Pollack collided with running back Reuben Droughns. He was taken off the field and a stretcher and suffered a broken cervical vertebra. It essentially ended his playing career before it truly got started.
Today, Pollack is a college football analyst on ESPN's "College GameDay" and enjoys a quiet personal life at home with his wife and two kids in Atlanta.
Early Life & Career as a Georgia Bulldog
Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images
David M. Pollack, a Gemini, was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to Norm Pollack and Kelli Pollack. The family moved to Snellville, Georgia, where young David became a star athlete at Shiloh High School. As a senior, he was named Class 5A Defensive Lineman of the Year by the Atlanta Touchdown Club.
When he arrived in Athens to play for head coach Mark Richt's Georgia Bulldogs college football team, he became a dominant force and had a college career for the ages. Pollack, a three-time All-American and All-SEC selection, set a school record with 36 sacks and earned a ridiculous amount of awards as one of the best players in the USA.
Pollack was the 2002 SEC Player of the Year and 2004 SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He won the Ted Hendricks Award twice and took home the Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award and Lott Trophy in 2004.
Before he was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, Pollack also met the love of his life.
Who is David Pollack's Wife Lindsey?
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For most of his life, David Pollack was all about football. That was his focus. The American football linebacker never even had a girlfriend. That was until he met his future wife Lindsey and the happy couple got married in May 2005, just a month after Pollack became first-round draft pick.
The Pollacks have been very active in the community. David started a sports banners and photo company called FanBan, which helped raise money for underprivileged kids to participate in YMCA programs years ago. They also started The Pollack Family Foundation to raise awareness against childhood obesity.
David and Lindsey's Two Kids
David Pollack and his wife Lindsey Pollack have two kids, a son named Nicholas Pollack and a daughter named Leah Pollack. The family does not disclose a lot of their personal life on social media.
Although his NFL career was cut short during his second season, the former college defensive end has carved out an impressive professional career in broadcasting across the United States.
Pollack started his new journey in 2008 working in the CBS studio and hosting a radio talk show for 790 The Zone in Atlanta. He then shifted to ESPN's "Thursday Night College Football," was a co-host of the "Palmer & Pollack" show on ESPNU and "College Football Live."
Pollack, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, is now a star on ESPN's "College GameDay" each Saturday morning.
Through his entire career, the ups and the downs, Lindsey Pollack has been right there with him.
This post was originally published on October 9, 2020.
