Bernard Pollard Hit on ‘Pretty Boy’ Brady’s Knee a Hot Topic
By author
Patriots fans will certainly never forget the day that it happened. The Patriots were coming off their 18-1 season with most of the cast intact and were looking to try and get back to the Super Bowl. In the opening game of the 2008 regular season against the Kansas City Chiefs, then-Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard lunged at Brady while he was in the pocket and tore Brady’s ACL, ending his season. The Patriots finished a respectable 11-5 under backup QB Matt Cassel but missed the playoffs.
Fast forward to the present, and we now have Tom Brady having one of the best seasons of his career, leading his team into the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens, Bernard Pollard’s new home. Naturally, the media-types had to ask all those involved about what happened that day back in 2008. While Tom Brady brushed what happened off, Pollard used the opportunity to get a dig in on Tom Brady.
Pollard didn’t seem eager to discuss the topic of his hit on Brady’s knee with the Baltimore Sun.
"“It just so happened to be Tom Brady and everybody made a big deal about it,” Pollard said via the Baltimore Sun.It’s safe to say he didn’t appreciate the line of questioning about whether he will always be tied to Brady.“That’s the pretty boy. That’s the man of the NFL. That’s Mr. Do-It-All,” Pollard said. “So everybody is going to hold that against me but I don’t care. I don’t play for men. I don’t play for no woman.”"
Brian Waters, who was Bernard’s teammate on the Chiefs back in 2008, was also asked about the hit.
"Asked what kind of blowback Pollard received for that hit, Waters said “if you know Bernard, you know there wasn’t much blowback from him.”“He took pride in the fact that he was able to get a hit on Tom, and he’s not going to live that down one way or the other,” Waters said. “He’s a guy that takes pride in putting hits on people, being physical. So he’s never going to back down or have any kind of regrets for that.”"
When Brady was asked about the injury, he paid it very little attention.
"Q: When you face Bernard Pollard, is it like facing any other safety or do you flash back to your injury in 2008? Have you guys ever spoken and has he ever expressed any contrition over your injury?TB: No, injuries are a part of the game. I hate being injured, that was a tough one but I’ve moved on, he’s moved on to some different teams. He’s a very good player, fits in this scheme very well. I don’t think too much about that injury or anything. I just really try to be the best QB I can be."
Does anybody else have the feeling that we will, at some point, see Brady target Pollard in coverage on Sunday? I’m sure on the inside he didn’t appreciate the “pretty boy” comment, or the fact that Pollard “took pride” in getting that hit in that ended Brady’s season. Add that to the fact that Pollard is at times a liability in coverage, and I just can’t help but see Brady completing a big play to one of the tight ends that burns Bernard Pollard. Store it in the memory bank come Sunday afternoon.
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