[su_spacer size=”20″] David Pollack is an All-American, All-SEC defensive end that played for the University of Georgia from 2001 – 2004. Pollack is a graduate of Shiloh high school from Snellville, GA where he was a 3-sport star in basketball, football, and wrestling. He was a member of UGA’s 2001 recruiting class, and the 2002 Georgia SEC Championship football team.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Coming out of Shiloh high school, Pollack wasn’t the highest rated prospect mainly because most of the scouting services didn’t know what position he would play at the collegiate level, and for the most part, neither did the Georgia coaching staff. Pollack had been tried out at fullback and nose tackle before the coaching staff gave him a shot on the d-line at the end position.
[su_spacer size=”40″] However, during his sophomore year in 2002, it did not take long for number 47’s name to become a known commodity for not only Bulldawg fans but opposing teams as well. By the time the 2002 season was in the books, Georgia had claimed its first SEC Championship since 1982, and David Pollack had amassed 101 total tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 29 quarterback hurries, and 14 quarterback sacks on his way to a first team All-American, All-SEC performance.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Among all the plays he made as a sophomore Bulldawg, one that is most memorable to most Georgia fans and the one that maybe the most memorable out of all Pollack’s plays upon the field, is a play he made in the 4th quarter of the game versus South Carolina in Columbia. The Bulldawgs were holding onto a slim 3-0 lead, having scored the game’s only points on a Billy Bennett field goal. In a sloppy game, more typical of an SEC contest from days of yore, Georgia had pinned the Gamecocks deep near their own goal line.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Skip Holtz, the South Carolina offensive coordinator and son of legendary and head coach Lou Holtz, called a pass play. As the Gamecock quarterback, Corey Jenkins, dropped back to pass in his own end zone, Pollack broke through the line of scrimmage, making a bee line for the Carolina QB, batted down Jenkins’ pass, and somehow had the frame of mind and athletic ability to snatch the ball from the air, which resulted in an interception and subsequent touchdown for the Dawgs. That touchdown would end up meaning the difference for Georgia who defeated South Carolina 13-7 and moved to 2-0 on the season, eventually contributing to Georgia winning the SEC East to put them in the SEC title game against Arkansas.
[su_spacer size=”40″] South Carolina and David Pollack
[su_spacer size=”40″] Over his career at Georgia, number 47 ended up terrorizing opposing teams playing in 50 games and starting 44 of those where he tallied 283 total tackles, 58.5 tackles for a loss, 117 quarterback pressures, and 36 sacks. David Pollack’s tackles for loss and quarterback sack totals are first all-time career records for a Georgia defender. Pollack is also the only other Georgia Bulldawg player to be named three times as a first team All-American (2002, 2003, 2004) in addition to legendary running back Herschel Walker (1980, 1981, 1982).
[su_spacer size=”40″] In addition to being named a first team All-American and All-SEC defensive end, David Pollack also earned the following honors and awards:
[su_spacer size=”20″] 2004 Ted Hendricks Award
2004 SEC Player of the Year Award
2004 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award
2004 Lott Trophy
2004 Lombardi Award
2004 Chuck Bednarik Award
2003 Ted Hendricks Award