FanPost

The Case for Retiring #47

Would that make Ray Drew the last of his kind? - Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports


There are currently four numbers which have been retired by UGA: #21 (Frank Sinkwich), #34 (Herschel Walker), #40 (Theron Sapp), and #62 (Charley Trippi). Without going into all of their accomplishments, these fine men are, respectively, a Heisman winner, a Heisman winner, the one who ended the drought against Tech, and a should-have-been Heisman winner. They have all left an indelible mark on UGA lore and are beloved by many generations. They were also all primarily offensive players.

It is time we retired a defensive number. It is time we retired #47. It is time we retired David Pollack’s number.

In his time at UGA, Pollack put up gaudy defensive numbers. He recorded 36.0 sacks in his career, good for fourth all-time in NCAA Division I-A history. In his 2002 season, Pollack set the UGA season sack record with 14 (since surpassed in 2012 by Jarvis Jones with 14.5).

He was a three-time All-American; the only other Bulldog to accomplish that feat was one H. Walker whose number has been retired. Two of those All-American selections were consensus too. He was also a three time first-team All-SEC selection and a two-time SEC Player of the Year (and the last Player of the Year before the SEC named one for each of the units).

He is the only two-time Ted Hendricks Award winner (2003 and 2004), the award given to the best defensive end in college football. He was the first Lott Trophy winner (2004). He took home the Lombardi Award (best lineman or linebacker) in 2004. He also won what is essentially the defensive player’s Heisman - the Chuck Bednarik Award in 2004.

No defensive player at UGA has the resume Pollack does. Very few defensive players in the entire NCAA have the resume Pollack does. I cannot think of a defensive player more feared than Pollack during his four years. Certainly no other defensive player has a play quite like this.

Pollack left a mark on UGA. Maybe it’s because of my age, but when I think of Georgia defenses, when I think of what that’s supposed to mean, there are two people that come to mind: Erk Russell and David Pollack. When you’re thought of in the same breath as Erk, you did something right in Athens.

Pollack is a damn good Dawg and a damn good person. It’s time that we retire his number.

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