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U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L BY MARC NARDUCCI Blue White Contributor J A tumultuous recruitment ends the way it began – with blue-chip lineman Jamil Pollard headed to University Park THE POLLARD FILE STAYING POWER amil Pollard has an affinity for the camera. The Penn State recruit from West Deptford High in south- ern New Jersey has spent time in school creating videos and also serv- ing as an on-air commentator. "I like to talk," he said. He also enjoys playing football. When the lights were shining and the stakes at their highest, Pollard was at his best. Most of all, his effervescent personality made him a pleasure to be around for most everybody, with the exception of any opposing linemen. "Jamil was awesome to coach," said West Deptford's Clyde Folsom, who guided his team to an 11-1 record that ended with the Eagles winning the South Jersey Group 2 championship. "He brought so much energy and en- thusiasm to the program." At West Deptford, the 6-foot-4, 285- pound Pollard was a force as a two-way lineman. Penn State has recruited him to play defense, although the offensive coaches will likely admire his combi- nation of strength and footwork. A for- mer basketball player, he moves freely on the football field. "His best trait is his ability to run to the football," Folsom said. "He has no problem sprinting even to the opposite side of the field to catch a ball carri- er." Pollard says he hopes to become stronger, even though Folsom said he already bench presses nearly 400 pounds. Pollard has been a standout since be- coming a starter as a sophomore, yet he wasn't coddled by Folsom. Pollard didn't receive the star treatment in practice, and he appreciated the coach's tough-love approach. "He is a special teacher," Pollard said. "He would destroy me in practice, mak- ing me do things over and over, but it really helped me grow up." Pollard recently was the subject of national attention after the Pitts- burgh Post-Gazette published a sto- ry detailing his remarkable resilience, compassion and courage. The de- tails have been well-documented: In 2007, his sisters, A'aliah Scott, 10, and India Duncan, 6, were murdered by their 18-year-old brother Mar- queese Lee. In March 2009, Lee was found not guilty by reason of insanity. According to the Post-Gazette story, Lee had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophre- nia, and the court ruled he did not know what he was doing when he strangled his sisters. To this day, Jamil visits his brother at a South Jersey psychiatric hospital. "Family is family," he said. "You don't throw somebody like that to the side." That is the compassionate side of Pol- lard, and it's possible the nation may see it soon. He said ESPN's prime-time magazine show "E-60" wants to pro- file him. No doubt the show will detail Pol- lard's longstanding affinity toward the Nittany Lions. In the spring of his junior year, he made a verbal commit- ment to attend Penn State and felt his future was secured. Except it really wasn't. A few months later, Penn State told Folsom that it was rescinding the W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M S T A T I S T I C S Finished with eight sacks and 97 tackles his senior season at West Deptford High. H O N O R S Was twice named first-team All-South Jersey as an offensive lineman by The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Camden Courier-Post. ... Named a four-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. ... Named an Offense-De- fense All-American. Marc Narducci scholarship offer because Pollard had fallen too far behind academically. Instead of pouting, Pollard moved on, although Penn State was always in the rearview mirror. He improved his grades significantly, and when Penn State got back in the picture, Pollard eagerly recommitted. He made his announcement over the Christmas holiday while competing in the Offense-Defense All-American Game in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Now Pollard is on course to being ac- ademically eligible. "It was a wake-up call for me because I was lazy in the classroom," he said. "I have spent a lot of time getting my grades up." And along the way, he was prodded by Folsom. "Coach has been on me every day," Pollard said. Pollard is not opposed to redshirting his freshman year, but he said he will be ready to play if that is the plan. "Whatever the coaches want," he said. In looking at Pollard, he appears to have the type of frame that can add plenty of weight. Look for him to eventually play at more than 300 pounds. Despite all he has accomplished, he admits he has not reached his poten- tial. "I'd say I'm about 74 percent," he said. Folsom puts the figure lower. "He tells me I'm between 59 and 64 percent," Pollard said, laughing. Still, there is room for growth and a desire to achieve. "He has a tremendous work ethic," Folsom said. Pollard won his final high school game, as West Deptford defeated Had- donfield, 22-14, for the South Jersey Group 2 crown. Haddonfield had sad- dled the Eagles with their only regu- lar-season defeat this past season and had also defeated West Deptford, 16-8, in the Group 2 final in Pollard's junior year. "It was great ending with that win [this past season], especially for what they did to us in the regular season and last year," Pollard said. Pollard held onto his dream of attend- ing Penn State even after the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the hiring of a new coaching staff. "You've got to love the school more than the coach," Pollard said. "The foot- ball situation is great, but I loved what the total school had to offer." One of West Deptford's assistant SEE POLLARD PAGE 37 M A R C H 2 3 , 2 0 1 2 33

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