Pollack Needs Surgery!

[Scoutforlife591]

[quote name='oldschooler' post='407317' date='Dec 14 2006, 06:16 PM']Pretty insensitive.

And here`s to Boss Bailey being a Bengal [/quote]

It sounded as such to me when I wrote it, but I'm not, and I tried to make it not sound insensitive, but wasn't really trying to coddle anyone. While I don't understand what he's going through, I understand it is exceptionally hard.

That said, with Thurman not welcome in Cincinnati and Pollack very likely finished as a player on the field, it is time to address the needs their as it is ever apparent that one needs 4-5 starting quality linebackers in this league.

Bailey would add a definable amount of talent to our roster, even with him being oft injured.

[|Bengal Migration|]

shitty fucking news. but i am glad he appears to have a healthy life ahead of him. i just wish it could involve a HOF career in stripes.

best wishes to Pollack, and for his full recovery

[Guest LeakyBengal]

Oh well.

[|Bengal Migration|]

[quote]CINCINNATI -- Bengals linebacker David Pollack will need surgery for the cracked bone in his neck, likely ending his football career.

Pollack cracked the bone while making a tackle against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 17 and was placed in a halo brace that immobilized his neck. Doctors told him that if the fracture healed without surgery, he could resume his career.

The former first-round draft pick was examined Thursday by a specialist who recommended surgery on the fracture, which is expected in the next few weeks.

Pollack wasn't available for comment. All that the Bengals would say is that "no forecast of Pollack's eventual return to football will be made at this time."

The news was released after players were done practicing in the afternoon.

During an interview in October, Pollack said that his career would most likely be over if he had to have surgery.

"If it heals by itself, then I'm fine," he said at the time. "It's just like anything else. I'll be fine to play again. It's just a matter of how it heals."

He said during the interview that if the crack in the bone didn't heal on its own, doctors would have to fuse two vertebrae to stabilize it. He has full range of motion in his arms and legs, but would be risking paralysis if he tried to play after such an operation and hurt the neck again.

"One doctor said it: Not very many people walk away from a broken neck twice," Pollack said. "And that's something that kind of hits home, you know.

"When you fuse two vertebrae together, the likelihood for injury is greatly increased."

Pollack was a first-round draft -- 17th overall -- in 2005 out of Georgia, where he played defensive end. The Bengals picked him intending to move him to linebacker.

A contract dispute cut into his rookie training camp, and he didn't start until the sixth game. A sprained knee forced him to miss two games during the season. Despite the setbacks, he ranked second on the team with 4½ sacks.

The Bengals were expecting a big second season out of Pollack. He snapped his neck while tackling Browns running back Reuben Droughns during the second game of the season. As he lay on the field, he didn't have feeling in his arms.

He was regaining sensation when he was taken off the field, which made him think he merely pinched a nerve. Medical tests found the small fracture, and he was put in the protective halo immediately.[/quote]

[url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2697810"]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2697810[/url]

[eva4ben-gal]

We definitely need to seriously go after Briggs and Thomas and hope we get one of them now. I would also seriously look at a LB in the 1st or 2nd round.
With Pollack and Odell now more likely gone than back we have solid backups in Johnson and Miller. Brooks and Nicholson are question marks right now as to what they'll contribute next year and Jeanty looks solid against the run but I don't know if he'll be an everydown guy.
Simmons might have another year left as a starter.
If we could get Thomas or Briggs in FA it might let us pass on LB in the draft if Marv feels like the youngsters are coming along nicely giving us something like this next year: Starters: Simmons, Brooks (assuming a full TC will get him to where he needs to be), Briggs (Thomas); Backups: Johnson, Miller, Jeanty; 3rd string: Nicholson, Wilkins.
I would be happy with this lineup, especially if it allowed us to go after a corner, safety or d lineman in the first two rounds.

If Odell comes back let him play ST and try to prove ha can stay out of trouble for a full season. If Pollack does decide to try football again I'd say give him the year off and move him to DE when he is 100%.

[BengalBeotch]

bummer....

[Guest Gonzoid]

Personally, he should walk away. While he can still walk.

[Scoutforlife591]

[quote name='eva4ben-gal' post='407337' date='Dec 14 2006, 07:27 PM']We definitely need to seriously go after Briggs and Thomas and hope we get one of them now. I would also seriously look at a LB in the 1st or 2nd round.
With Pollack and Odell now more likely gone than back we have solid backups in Johnson and Miller. Brooks and Nicholson are question marks right now as to what they'll contribute next year and Jeanty looks solid against the run but I don't know if he'll be an everydown guy.
Simmons might have another year left as a starter.
If we could get Thomas or Briggs in FA it might let us pass on LB in the draft if Marv feels like the youngsters are coming along nicely giving us something like this next year: Starters: Simmons, Brooks (assuming a full TC will get him to where he needs to be), Briggs (Thomas); Backups: Johnson, Miller, Jeanty; 3rd string: Nicholson, Wilkins.
I would be happy with this lineup, especially if it allowed us to go after a corner, safety or d lineman in the first two rounds.

If Odell comes back let him play ST and try to prove ha can stay out of trouble for a full season. If Pollack does decide to try football again I'd say give him the year off and move him to DE when he is 100%.[/quote]

Wrong, we're fine. We're just not super deep anymore. We can bring in one C-list free agent starter and be just fine.

[ColorChanginClique]

What happened to that "Local 12 breaking Pollack News!" That said he wouldn't need surgery.

[Jamie_B]

Damn shame.

[akiliMVP]

Not surprised, but still pissed off.

[sexybengal]

fuck i thought he woudl be back next season but now i am not so sure

[JC]

[quote name='sexybengal' post='407379' date='Dec 14 2006, 09:16 PM']fuck i thought he woudl be back next season but now i am not so sure[/quote]
Theres no way he would come back next year even if he was going to come back.

Davids career is basically over. Unless a miracle happens during surgery. Its a bummer to...because football was his life.

[TheBZ]

[quote name='oldschooler' post='407315' date='Dec 14 2006, 06:13 PM']I just don`t understand why they say "his career is still in limbo",
and say "his eventual return to football".
Fuck it, I`ve been optimistic this long. Might as well continue.
I`ll keep hoping until I hear him say he is retired....[/quote]

Very tough news...I was holding out a lot of hope for him to make a miracle comeback.

Just the same, though...I won't write him off until he makes a statement for himself.

If he decides it isn't worth the risk to play football, I bet he would make a hell of a youth pastor. I'm sure that takes a lot of energy.

BZ

[Guest ONYX]

Ever since his injury, I've felt in my heart and mind that Pollack's career was over, so unfortunately
this new is no surprise to me.

[DanvilleBengal]

I'm starting to think that we are jinxed when it comes to the 1st round, except for Carson, it seems that none of our first rounders are working out.

Perry is an injury-prone back that would break his jaw if he sneezed.

We finally got a dude on defense that plays with passion in Pollack, and he goes and breaks his neck and is never going to play for us again.

Palmer is turning out to be a great, but he never has completed a season (and yes, I do consider the playoffs to be part of the football season).

I'm almost waiting to see what is gonna happen to John-Joe that is gonna cut his potential as well.



Methinks that we still have a demon that we need to exorcise----and that is the demon of blowing premium draft picks for the past 15 years of the Dark Decade.


This fucking sucks, if you see me on the news, don't be surprised. [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons//20.gif[/img]

[Scoutforlife591]

We also have a demon of really great 2nd Rd picks. The whole draft is about 50-50, and we are too in the 2nd Rd, but when we hit...man...we do good.

Whitworth
Madieu
Chad Johnson
Corey Dillon
Steinbach

Hell even Thurman was a heckuva player.

And don't forget

Artrell Hawkins

[New Jersey Bengal]

[quote name='WhoDeyUK' post='407331' date='Dec 14 2006, 07:05 PM']shitty fucking news. but i am glad he appears to have a healthy life ahead of him. i just wish it could involve a HOF career in stripes.

best wishes to Pollack, and for his full recovery[/quote]
[b]I was praying that he would return but what can you do. He will do something positive with his life. Maybe he can remain with the Bengals and coach. Good Luck David. You're the man...[/b]

[Rod Jones]

Looks like my inside source was right on. I feel for David and his family.

[|Montana Bengal|]

[quote name='schotzee' post='407322' date='Dec 14 2006, 04:37 PM']If he decides not to play again,maybe we can still have him involved with the team as some kind of assistant or something.As another has said he is a man of character and could probably be a good player motivator.[/quote]


I'm hoping that he will say with the organization because of his character as well.

[Guest ONYX]

[b]I don't want to sound cold hearted but I think the sympathy towards Pollack and the impact of
his retirement is being overblown. Yes, Pollack did suffer a potentially paralyzing injury but he will
be OK now. Everything I have read, points that he will recover and be able to maintain a normal
way of life, but his playing career is over.

Professional football athletes are similar to NASCAR drivers, because they know that any day or
any play, could be their last. Yes, it is unfortunate he may no longer play football again, but honestly,
I'm a little bit reluctant to grieve for grown men who are no longer able to play games while getting
paid millions for playing them.

Pollack, if he manages his money, is basically set for life. His signing bonus and money he can still
collect from his contract plus insurance policy assures that. And before anybody says, that this isn't
about the money,......well it was about the money for him in the summer of 2005. Nobody can
play football forever, so if football is still a passion for him, he can always coach or do what I do,
...join a message board and buy Madden 07.

God love him, God bless him, but save your tears, David will be alright.

As far as his probable retirement impacting the Bengals as a team........

Have you ever heard the saying, "You don't know what you got, until it's gone?", well in Pollack's
case, the Bengals never knew what they had in him long enough to miss him. Because of Pollack's
hold out and various lower body injuries, he was never on the field long enough for the Bengals
to gauge what kind of player he could be.

You cant miss somebody you never met.

Pollack was a "work in progress" cut short. The fact that he was a first round pick will sting more
than his absence from the team.

We will never know how good he would have been.....and that's a shame.

But before any of you become too shaken by this news, just remember, we will never know how good he would have been,........ before you jump off the bridge.[/b]

[Guest WhoDeyForever]

This sucks. Get well soon DP!!! Hope to see you in stripes next year

[Guest LeakyBengal]

[quote name='sneaky' post='407423' date='Dec 14 2006, 11:26 PM'][b]I don't want to sound cold hearted but I think the sympathy towards Pollack and the impact of
his retirement is being overblown. Yes, Pollack did suffer a potentially paralyzing injury but he will
be OK now. Everything I have read, points that he will recover and be able to maintain a normal
way of life, but his playing career is over.

Professional football athletes are similar to NASCAR drivers, because they know that any day or
any play, could be their last. Yes, it is unfortunate he may no longer play football again, but honestly,
I'm a little bit reluctant to grieve for grown men who are no longer able to play games while getting
paid millions for playing them.

Pollack, if he manages his money, is basically set for life. His signing bonus and money he can still
collect from his contract plus insurance policy assures that. And before anybody says, that this isn't
about the money,......well it was about the money for him in the summer of 2005. Nobody can
play football forever, so if football is still a passion for him, he can always coach or do what I do,
...join a message board and buy Madden 07.

God love him, God bless him, but save your tears, David will be alright.

As far as his probable retirement impacting the Bengals as a team........

Have you ever heard the saying, "You don't know what you got, until it's gone?", well in Pollack's
case, the Bengals never knew what they had in him long enough to miss him. Because of Pollack's
hold out and various lower body injuries, he was never on the field long enough for the Bengals
to gauge what kind of player he could be.

You cant miss somebody you never met.

Pollack was a "work in progress" cut short. The fact that he was a first round pick will sting more
than his absence from the team.

We will never know how good he would have been.....and that's a shame.

But before any of you become too shaken by this news, just remember, we will never know how good he would have been,........ before you jump off the bridge.[/b][/quote]

HERE FUCKING HERE!!!

[Guest happyrid]

[quote name='sneaky' post='407423' date='Dec 14 2006, 11:26 PM'][b]I don't want to sound cold hearted but I think the sympathy towards Pollack and the impact of
his retirement is being overblown. Yes, Pollack did suffer a potentially paralyzing injury but he will
be OK now. Everything I have read, points that he will recover and be able to maintain a normal
way of life, but his playing career is over.

Professional football athletes are similar to NASCAR drivers, because they know that any day or
any play, could be their last. Yes, it is unfortunate he may no longer play football again, but honestly,
I'm a little bit reluctant to grieve for grown men who are no longer able to play games while getting
paid millions for playing them.

Pollack, if he manages his money, is basically set for life. His signing bonus and money he can still
collect from his contract plus insurance policy assures that. And before anybody says, that this isn't
about the money,......well it was about the money for him in the summer of 2005. Nobody can
play football forever, so if football is still a passion for him, he can always coach or do what I do,
...join a message board and buy Madden 07.

God love him, God bless him, but save your tears, David will be alright.

As far as his probable retirement impacting the Bengals as a team........

Have you ever heard the saying, "You don't know what you got, until it's gone?", well in Pollack's
case, the Bengals never knew what they had in him long enough to miss him. Because of Pollack's
hold out and various lower body injuries, he was never on the field long enough for the Bengals
to gauge what kind of player he could be.

You cant miss somebody you never met.

Pollack was a "work in progress" cut short. The fact that he was a first round pick will sting more
than his absence from the team.

We will never know how good he would have been.....and that's a shame.

But before any of you become too shaken by this news, just remember, we will never know how good he would have been,........ before you jump off the bridge.[/b][/quote]


I agree to a certain extent. Pollack still has a cute wife, lots of money and will probably get a good job doing something in Georgia. Still, I feel bad for him because he seemed like a guy whose life revolved around playing football.

Also, though we will never know how good he would have been, he was showing signs of becoming very, very good. And with the comments that Marvin was making about him, we had a lot of reasons to be optimistic about him being a star and a leader on a defense that sorely needed a leader. His loss hurts our D ong term pretty badly.

As others have mentioned, we have to look at bringing in a starting caliber LB now either in the draft or in FA. We have some other holes that will be much harder to fill now.

[TheChosenOne]

[quote name='happyrid' post='407443' date='Dec 15 2006, 12:29 AM']Still, I feel bad for him because he seemed like a guy whose life revolved around playing football.[/quote]

I'd say the vast majority of professional football players fall in this category, at least the more talented ones and not so much the UDFAs who know they might not be in the league very long, or the older players who have started to work on things outside of football. In fact, I would say Pollack is more prepared than some to move on with his life away from playing football. He has had time to contemplate what he would like to do if he couldn't play football again, he has a supportive family, and he seems to have a good head on his shoulders as well as personal drive and motivation.