Yesterday's turn in the spotlight went to one of six Sun Devils in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the late Curley Culp. Today with 76 days until the season opener, we pivot back to the offense to honor Mike Pollak.
A product of Tempe Corona Del Sol High School, Pollak was rated a 3-star recruit coming out of high school according to Rivals. Receiving offers from Arizona, Washington and Vanderbilt, Mike chose to stay close to home and commit to Arizona State for the 2003 season under head coach Dirk Koetter.
After redshirting his freshman season, Pollak started to see action in 2004 appearing in eight games with four starts in place of injured starting center Drew Hodgdon. Pollak's contributions helped the Devils to a Pac-10 leading 317.3 passing yards per game (5th in the nation), as well as a 16th nationally ranked total offense (435.4 yards per game) and 32nd nationally ranked scoring offense 29.3 points per game).
Pollak continued to see limited action as a sophomore in 2005, appearing in all 12 games while starting six games in place of All-Pac-10 center Grayling Love. Pollak's six starts saw the Devils explode on offense, producing 510.7 yards of total offense per game and scoring 36 points per game.
After earning the Hard Hat Player Award in recognition of his offseason training efforts for the second straight year, Pollak was named starting center for the 2006 season. Ranked as the 32nd best center in the nation according to Phil Steele and earning preseason third-team All-Pac-10 honors, Pollak enjoyed a strong season in an overall difficult 7-6 season for the Devils that saw Coach Koetter relieved of duties prior to an appearance in the Hawaii Bowl.
Pollak earned himself second-team All-Pac-10 honors, and was named ASU's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman of the Year, while earning his third straight Hard Hat Award.
Pollak returned for his senior season in 2007 after completing his undergraduate degree early, one of eight Sun Devils to do so. He was named to the preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy, Rimington Trophy, and Lombardi Award, all presented annually to the nation's best offensive linemen.
Under new head coach Dennis Erickson, Pollak and the Devils enjoyed an outstanding season. As a team, the Devils finished tied for the Pac-10 crown with a 7-2 conference record, losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with USC for the right to play in the Rose Bowl. The season ended with a 52-34 loss to Texas in the Holiday Bowl, but Pollak earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors at center, was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, and earned multiple invites to postseason all-star games, including the annual East-West Shrine Game.
Mike was drafted in the 2nd round (59th overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. Pollak's career spanned 7 seasons, appearing with the Carolina Panthers and Cincinnati Bengals after four seasons in Indianapolis. Mike was a member of the 2009 AFC Champion Colts, losing to the New Orleans Saints 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV.
Offensive linemen often never get the recognition that they deserve, but Pollak's contributions to the Sun Devil teams of the mid-2000's earn him today's spot in our spotlight series.