David Pollack
Encyclopedia
Injury
In the Bengals' September 17, 2006 game against in-state rival Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Pollack suffered what was later determined to be a broken sixth cervical vertebrae
Cervical vertebrae
In vertebrates, cervical vertebrae are those vertebrae immediately inferior to the skull.Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are defined as those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow the lumbar vertebrae, which also...
on a first quarter tackle on running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Reuben Droughns
Reuben Droughns
Reuben Droughns is an American football running back who is currently the head coach for the Serbian team Vukovi Beograd, the two-time champions of the Central European Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
. He reportedly suffered no paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
, but was taken off the field on a stretcher and underwent surgery and was forced to wear a halo brace for three months. Pollack's injury was determined to be a possible career-ending one. However, on January 7, 2007, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
reported that Pollack would be able to resume his career as long as the rehabilitation process went as planned. On July 11, 2007, it was announced that Pollack would not play at all during the 2007 season as his recovery continued. On April 22, 2008 Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
Head Coach Marvin Lewis
Marvin Lewis
Marvin Ronald Lewis is the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League, a position he has held since January 14, 2003...
announced that Pollack was "not completely comfortable where he [was] medically" and that he would retire.
Career after football
Pollack's new company, FanBan, manufactures sports banners that feature sports photographs and college football team logos. FanBan events have raised $4,321 for the YMCA scholarships that help underprivileged kids participate in YMCAYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
programs as of February 10, 2008.
On September 9, 2008, Pollack began a new career as an afternoon sports talk host on Atlanta's 790 The Zone. Also in 2008, Pollack began studio work for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's college football coverage. He is also a college football analyst for ESPNU
ESPNU
ESPNU is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced by, affiliated with and owned by parent network ESPN. ESPNU originates out of ESPN Regional Television's ESPNU (often referred to as The U) is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced...
. Starting in the Fall 2011, he will be a part of ESPN's College Gameday
College GameDay
College GameDay is an ESPN entertainment show previewing college football games. It first aired in 1987 with Tim Brando as host and Lee Corso and Beano Cook as commentators. Beginning more-or-less as a report on college football games, the show would undergo a radical transformation beginning in...
and a host on the Palmer and Pollack show, which is 2.5 hours long.