Rookie Pollard welcomes the pain
By Tully Corcoran
The Capital-Journal
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Some people seek out pain. Some like the soreness after a workout. Some people deliberately cut themselves. Still others star on "Jackass."
Bernard Pollard is one of those people. Not the "Jackass" people. One of those people who seeks pain, though Pollard prefers the sting of pigskin to the hands to paper cuts on the eyelids.
"I know about that sting," said Pollard of the pain that comes with blocking a punt. "It feels great once it's over with."
He felt it Sunday. On fourth-and-24 with 4:22 left in the second quarter, Pollard blocked Scott Player's punt out of bounds at the 6-yard line. It set up Kansas City's first touchdown, a 9-yard Larry Johnson reception that pulled the Chiefs within four, 14-10.
"That was a big play for us obviously," Chiefs coach Herman Edwards said. "We had a feeling maybe we could get one and that did a nice job of getting back some momentum for us."
It was the first block of Pollard's NFL career, but as he said, the feeling is nothing new. The rookie second-round pick made a career out of punt blocking at Purdue, where he holds the school record with five career blocked kicks.
On the Chiefs punt return formation, Pollard lines up outside on the left and rushes off the edge like a defensive end. He nearly blocked two punts last week against San Francisco and came close earlier in the Arizona game.
The effect may have carried over to the next possession when Arizona went three-and-out and punted again. Pollard didn't get to it, but Player shanked it for 35 yards.
He said through film study, the Chiefs saw an opportunity to get to a kick. And when he saw the guy across from him, he was more certain.
"The guy they had on my side was a backup," he said.
He has become so adept at it, he counts it a failure when he doesn't block one.
"I look forward to getting a blocked punt every game," he said. "If I don't, I didn't do something right."
Though not technically a turnover, Pollard's block helped negate two Chiefs giveaways, both fumbles by running back Larry Johnson. Before the block, Kansas City had reached Arizona territory only once, on a first-quarter drive that produced a field goal.
"We gave up 10 points on turnovers," Edwards said. "But they turned the ball over and we scored on theirs too. It was a turnover game. We dodged a bullet, but we got a win."
