Pollack Return?

[djdannos]

I would def have to admit that I am on the side still believing that Pollack will not play again but from

Len Pasquarilli

There is still considerable re-evaluation to be done, but Cincinnati officials are increasingly confident that David Pollack, the team's first-round choice in the 2005 draft, will return from surgery to repair the fractured vertebra in his neck. Pollack, 24, has appeared in only 16 games in two seasons. If the former University of Georgia star does return, he is likely to play defensive end, his position in college, and not linebacker. The Bengals should know more about Pollack's status in the next month or so.

Maybe it is why they tagged Smith to give Pollack a yr to try abd work his way back and take over the DE spot next yr and if not draft one...

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

I would def have to admit that I am on the side still believing that Pollack will not play again but from

Len Pasquarilli

There is still considerable re-evaluation to be done, but Cincinnati officials are increasingly confident that David Pollack, the team's first-round choice in the 2005 draft, will return from surgery to repair the fractured vertebra in his neck. Pollack, 24, has appeared in only 16 games in two seasons. If the former University of Georgia star does return, he is likely to play defensive end, his position in college, and not linebacker. The Bengals should know more about Pollack's status in the next month or so.

Maybe it is why they tagged Smith to give Pollack a yr to try abd work his way back and take over the DE spot next yr and if not draft one...

Somewhat at odds with what Marvin said last week. You have to wonder if good ol' Len got this one spoon-fed by Pollack's agent or something like he usually does.

[WhoDeyForever]

It would be awesome to have DP come back. He has so much potential it is unreal. If he does not come back, I want to wish him luck

[BTG]

Even if he does come back he won't be the same. He can't be. He had to stare down an injury that could have taken away his ability to walk, and he's just supposed to jump right back into playing linebacker and be as good as he once was? I don't think so.

Linebacker is one of the most grueling positions on the football field. You literally hit your neck EVERY single play. And if he allows himself to think of what might happen, he's done. You can't do that and be effective in the NFL.

Plus, when you play safe like that, that's the easiest way to get seriously injured because you're tense and your body reacts differently than if you're just playing. For an example of this, think of how many drunk drivers walk away from serious crashes. They do so because they're relaxed and not thinking about what is about to happen. The same principle applies to football.

And let me tell you, as someone who has had a serious neck injury, you can't help but think about it when you're on the field. It just creeps in there.

[Kazkal]

So BTG have you played in the nfl and suffered a major neck injury?

[Spain]

He will serve water again! Big Bens the devil!!!!

[Stripes]

I still think it's plausible he'll return, but I don't expect any noteworthy contribution until 2008. If he can come in this year and make any impact, that'd obviously be great.

[brau09]

i think the team should go ahead and say they are going to keep him out until 08 regardless if he rehabs fully by the end of this year. that should give him plenty of time if it is possible for him to return at all.

[Thurmanation]

Even if he does come back he won't be the same. He can't be. He had to stare down an injury that could have taken away his ability to walk, and he's just supposed to jump right back into playing linebacker and be as good as he once was? I don't think so.

Linebacker is one of the most grueling positions on the football field. You literally hit your neck EVERY single play. And if he allows himself to think of what might happen, he's done. You can't do that and be effective in the NFL.

Plus, when you play safe like that, that's the easiest way to get seriously injured because you're tense and your body reacts differently than if you're just playing. For an example of this, think of how many drunk drivers walk away from serious crashes. They do so because they're relaxed and not thinking about what is about to happen. The same principle applies to football.

And let me tell you, as someone who has had a serious neck injury, you can't help but think about it when you're on the field. It just creeps in there.

exactly what i said a few weeks ago in another pollack thread.

I believe he will never play the same again.

[JoePong]

Maybe it is why they tagged Smith to give Pollack a yr to try abd work his way back and take over the DE spot next yr and if not draft one...

Can we please stop this nonsense! They tagged Justin Smith because he's probably their best defensive player. It has nothing to do with Pollack.

[ArmyBengal]

I don't want him to come back for the mere point that I don't want to see him hurt worse than he already was. There's absolutely no reason to think he would be the same player and the fact they would switch him back to DE is irrelevant in my opinion. I say good luck to Pollack in whatever he does and begin looking to the future. I don't want to be holding my breath everytime he takes a hit...

WHODEY !!!

[BTG]

So BTG have you played in the nfl and suffered a major neck injury?

No, smart ass, but I played in high school (badly, I might add) and had a serious neck injury...I can only imagine how much worse it would be in a league like the NFL.

Incidentally, what the docs initially diagnosed for me as a cervical strain was actually the onset of cervical spinal stenosis...the same thing that ended Sterling Sharpe and Michael Irvin's careers. It's a degenerative condition that can not be fixed without surgery, and the docs say I'm too young to have that surgery. That means I am in constant pain from the back of my head all the way down to between my shoulder blades, and I refuse to even play tackle football with my friends because I'm scared to death I'll land on it wrong and injure it even worse.

So while I never made it to the NFL, I think I know a little bit about neck injuries and the way they affect you mentally as well as physically.

[jditty47]

can someone do some research...how many players have come back after breaking their neck? and how productive were they after it?

[Thurmanation]

So BTG have you played in the nfl and suffered a major neck injury?

No, smart ass, but I played in high school (badly, I might add) and had a serious neck injury...I can only imagine how much worse it would be in a league like the NFL.

Incidentally, what the docs initially diagnosed for me as a cervical strain was actually the onset of cervical spinal stenosis...the same thing that ended Sterling Sharpe and Michael Irvin's careers. It's a degenerative condition that can not be fixed without surgery, and the docs say I'm too young to have that surgery. That means I am in constant pain from the back of my head all the way down to between my shoulder blades, and I refuse to even play tackle football with my friends because I'm scared to death I'll land on it wrong and injure it even worse.

So while I never made it to the NFL, I think I know a little bit about neck injuries and the way they affect you mentally as well as physically.

I hear u man, i broke my wrist 3 years ago in my first year of highschool ball, also a good buddy of mine tore some legiments in his right knee being cut blocked, hes never played since, and he was a damn good RE

[derekshank]

No offense guys... but I don't think these personal experience arguments hold a ton of water. I tore my ACL 5 or 6 years ago... and my knee has never really been the same since. But Carson Palmer was playing in the NFL 8 months after he had his (and his was more severe than mine).

Sure... Pollack may never be the same again. I don't know... but I'm not going to base my opinion on the fact that a high-school football player got scared after his injury. It's the NFL. These guys do this for a living. It's just different.

[HairOnFire]

Latest update courtesy of the Cincy Post...

POLLACK UPDATE - Linebacker David Pollack is working out at Paul Brown Stadium with all of the enthusiasm he's shown from the day the Bengals drafted him in the first round in 2005. It has yet to be determined whether Pollack will be able to play this season, or ever again, after suffering a broken neck in the second game of last season while making a tackle against Cleveland but Pollack isn't lacking any effort.

Pollack has declined to speak publicly about his health status since it became known last December that he would need surgery to repair his neck. He declined comment again on Monday, through the Bengals public relations department, but that didn't keep him from meeting up with teammates in the locker room.

Standing on a scale, Pollack raised his arms in a muscle-flexing pose as he noted his weight was up to 257 pounds.

[CarsonCity]

Even if he does come back he won't be the same. He can't be. He had to stare down an injury that could have taken away his ability to walk, and he's just supposed to jump right back into playing linebacker and be as good as he once was? I don't think so.

Linebacker is one of the most grueling positions on the football field. You literally hit your neck EVERY single play. And if he allows himself to think of what might happen, he's done. You can't do that and be effective in the NFL.

Plus, when you play safe like that, that's the easiest way to get seriously injured because you're tense and your body reacts differently than if you're just playing. For an example of this, think of how many drunk drivers walk away from serious crashes. They do so because they're relaxed and not thinking about what is about to happen. The same principle applies to football.

And let me tell you, as someone who has had a serious neck injury, you can't help but think about it when you're on the field. It just creeps in there.

While I understand your point and it is a valid one, the Bengals have explicitly said that should Pollack return to play, he would NOT be playing linebacker. Rather, he'd be playing DE.

And while these hesitations (for lack of a better word) to play 100% may be true in your case and other's, it is not necessarily true with David Pollack. If the doctors tell him that he has no greater chance of a paralyzing neck injury than any other football player, and (most importantly) he decides he's willing to play again, I'm all for it. Who am I to say whether or not he'll be able to come back and be the great player we all know he was capable of being? I'll trust Pollack's judgement in this situation over any of our opinions.

[BTG]

Listen, I really like Pollack -- I've liked him since he was at UGA, and I hope he comes back and can play at a high level. I'm just giving my opinion on the situation.

[Spain]

With todays medicine, he can bring water to the other playas for years to come. Long live his stupid hold out!

[BengalByTheBay]

Latest update courtesy of the Cincy Post...

POLLACK UPDATE - Linebacker David Pollack is working out at Paul Brown Stadium with all of the enthusiasm he's shown from the day the Bengals drafted him in the first round in 2005.

Damn -- Spain beat me to the punch. I was going to make a smart ass comment about how hard he was working while he was holding out for all of training camp.

[ArmyBengal]

Tell me you aren't holding his hold out against him... This is a business and while it might piss us all off, it's the nature of the game and the organization, the player, and the agent ALL play a part. My question is, what does his hold out have anything to do with him coming back after a neck injury ?? Get over it already...

WHODEY !!!