Where Did Tony Pollard Go To College?

The fourth round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, Tony Pollard is a running back who currently plys his trade with the Dallas Cowboys franchise in the NFL. An exciting prospect, Pollard allows the team much more options from the backfield especially in terms of receiving the ball. A limited amount of game time in his first four years has been a key factor in him not taking the league by storm.

Stuck behind Ezekiel Elliott as the backup rusher, 2023 should provide Pollard the opportunity he has been waiting for. Developing his game year after year, 2022 provided a glimpse of what he can do if given the reins to the offense from the back. Even as a backup with fewer touches than Elliott, he completely outperformed the Cowboys' ex-starter putting up over 1,000 yards on the season as opposed to Elliott’s 876 yards.

Tony Pollard at College

He then attended the University of Memphis and played on the Tigers football team. Redshirting in his freshman year, he got a chance to play in 2016 as a freshman. Prior to this, Pollard started his high school career at Melrose High School in Memphis, Tennessee. On the football team, he played both on the offense as a wide receiver and on the defense as a cornerback.

Pollard continued to be a dynamic player and was part of the special teams as well as the offense for the Tigers. On the offense, although he came out of high school as a wide receiver, his role was changed to a running back cum wide receiver.

On special teams, Pollard had a stellar freshman year finishing in second place in the FBS in kick return yards. He also added two kick return touchdowns, setting a school record. If that isn’t enough, he bettered those stats in his sophomore year and returned four kickoffs for touchdowns.

Carrying out his duties as a member of the offense, Pollard received similar touches in his first two years, but his running game started gaining traction as a sophomore. In 2018 which was his junior year, Pollard contributed exceptionally in all three departments and decided to enter the NFL draft a year early.

Tony Pollard with the Cowboys

Pollard’s decision to enter the draft one year prior was seen as a risky move by many experts. They believed that he had had one good year all around as a junior but it was not enough to excel at a professional level. Scouts and analysts also predicted that he may get selected in the sixth or seventh round of the draft, but the Cowboys surprised many by selecting him earlier.

It has taken time for him to develop into a better player as he was weak in certain areas as a running back. Understandably, having played much more as a receiver in his early years, transitioning immediately to the professional league was obviously going to take time and a lot of effort.

However, after a few years of getting accustomed to the NFL, we can remark on some qualities he possesses to take the step forward. His strength lies in the fact that he doesn’t require a whole lot of blocking in front of him, he can make things happen on his own. He has shown great ability in cutting at the right moment and demonstrates excellent vision to shift around for extra yardage. Plus, his utilization as a receiver is already an added advantage for the Cowboys and maybe Dallas fans have something new to be excited about.