Georgia football: Modern-era Mount Rushmore – Herschel Walker and the Dawgs

David Pollack, defensive end

Sometimes it takes one play to put a player on the map. Sometimes that player stays on the map and becomes a household name, while other times they fade into memory. For Georgia fans, defensive end David Pollack is the former. He became famous for literally stealing the ball from South Carolina quarterback Corey Jenkins. That led to a career that includes three All American seasons, a Chuck Bednarik Award, a Ronnie Lott Trophy, and two Ted Hendricks Awards.

He was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2002 after recording 14 sacks and leading the Bulldogs to the SEC Title. He also won the award in 2004. He was one of the most dominant defensive linemen in this era. Offensive linemen couldn’t stop him, and he was always in the backfield.

It’s pretty heartbreaking to see that Pollack’s professional career was taken from us before it really started. After showing flashes of greatness in his rookie year with the Cincinnati Bengals, Pollack suffered what would end up being a career-ending injury in his second season trying to tackle running back Reuben Droughns.

Still, he was one of the most successful college players of that era, and he’s the most recent inductee to the College Football Hall of Fame. Whenever they decide to actually have a ceremony in Atlanta, it will be extra special for someone who was dominant just down the road in Athens.

Pollack is a player that many should go back and watch because dominance like that is rare to see.