Jamil Pollard at West Deptford (Photo Mat Boyle)Jamil Pollard (West Deptford) appears on the Golden Rams 2017 roster. The 6-3, 285lb defensive lineman has endured a long and winding road from West Deptford to West Chester, and it started even before the Eagles won the South Jersey Group II Championship in his final year of high school. After Pollard's junior year, in which he posted 56 tackles and four sacks, he issued a verbal commitment to Penn State, foregoing offers from Alabama, Florida, Iowa and Rutgers. However he failed to qualify academically and Penn State pulled his scholarship offer in the summer prior to his senior year. Boston College, Rutgers, East Carolina and Temple remained in contention for the two-way phenom.
In his senior year, he registered 83 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles, as West Deptford went 11-1 and captured the title. Their only loss came to rival Haddonfield, and the Eagles avenged that loss in the championship game. In December, the 7th ranked player in New Jersey would issue a verbal commitment to Penn State, selecting the Nittany Lions over Boston College. He became the first commitment since the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke, stating that the issue had no effect on his decision. With improved grades, Penn State offered and he accepted a scholarship to Penn State.
Pollard spent that summer in State College taking classes. But when the NCAA's sanctions against Penn State were announced, he elected to not go to Penn State and chose to attend Rutgers, again foregoing several other Division I scholarship offers. Due to the Penn State sanctions, Pollard was eligible to play for Rutgers in the fall of 2012, but he ended up redshirting that season. Then prior to the 2013 season, Rutgers announced that Pollard retired from football due to unspecified injuries. Six months later, Rutgers announced that Pollard would be returning to the team. Although listed on the Scarlet Knights roster in 2014, he did not see game action.
Pollard did not participate in football team activities since the fall of 2014, and was involved in a criminal event that took place in a dorm room in December of that year. He was arrested and charged in September of 2015 with crimes associated with stealing cash and marijuana. He was one of six men who performed similar actions and, as a result, he was dismissed from the football team and suspended from the university. The case was finally settled this past March.
- 2011 Gloucester County Times Defensive Player of the Year
- 2011 Second Team Star-Ledger All-State (Offense)
- 2011 First Team Philadelphia Inquirer All-South Jersey
- 2011 First Team All-Courier Post
- 2010 First Team Philadelphia Inquirer All-South Jersey (Offense)
- 2010 First Team All-Courier Post
NJ Advance Media - Ex‑Rutgers football player accepts plea deal in home invasion
South Jersey Times - West Deptford High School graduate Jamil Pollard settling into new home with Rutgers University football program
South Jersey Times - West Deptford High School grad Jamil Pollard leaving Penn State, accepts scholarship from Rutgers way to go forward
Pittsburgh PostGazette - PSU recruit endures slayings of two sisters, finds way to go forward
West Deptford Talon - Pollard signs with Penn State
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