David Pollack update.

Ok, let me start off by saying David Pollack is my favorite Bengal on defense.(Chad on offense) When he went down with that neck injury I was really upset. Then when I later found out that he fractured his vertebra and he would miss the rest of the season and possibly end his career I was...in a way, heartbroken. I mean the kid is one of the best young run-stopping linebackers in the AFC if not in the whole NFL. His stats may not prove this but trust me, if you watch a Bengal game or even an old Georgia game, you'll see what i'm talking about.



He is currently restricted by the "halo" device which stabilizes the fractured C-6 vertebra in his neck. In a conference Thursday, Pollack said that he hopes to resume his football career with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2007, but he acknowledged that his NFL future remains very much undetermined.

"I want to be able to hold my kids,"said Pollack. "I want to be able to hold my wife's hand when we walk down the street. This puts that all in perspective."

The injury that the now 24 year old Pollack had, has not required any surgery. But his doctors haven't ruled out the possibility, at some point, he may need an operation to repair his neck. That determination won't come for at least two more monts, and until the halo is removed from his head and doctors evaluate how the fractured vertebrae has healed.

Speacialists have said to Pollack that, if he has surgery, his football career is probably over. In such cases, orthopedists have told the former first round daft pick, fusion surgery precludes having the kind of contact inherent to football, because the chances of a second fracture are increased.

"One of the doctors told me that not many people walk away from a second broken neck," Pollack said. "That kinda hit home. The big thing is, when you fuse the vertebrae, they usually fuse two together. And when that happens, the likelihood for injury is greatly increased."

This was the scene a couple of weeks ago, when Pollack suffered th injury against the Cleveland Browns. The injury happened when Pollack tackled Browns' runningback, Reuben Droughns. Pollack led with his head down and on contact his vertebrae fractured.

All I can say is good luck on your rehab David, and I hope to see you stuffing the run in 07.