Bernard Pollard doesn't like Brady, but is against a 4-game suspension
Pollard and the Patriots have a long history going back to when he delivered a blow to Brady's leg that tore the quarterback's ACL.
By
Jared Dubin
•
1 min read
Bernard Pollard is a familiar name for fans of the New England Patriots. He has a long history with the team, dating back to his low hit on Tom Brady that tore the quarterback's ACL back in 2008. (The hit resulted in a rule change that made similar hits a personal foul beginning in 2009.)
A year later, while Pollard was with the Houston Texans, Pollard was lining up a hit on Pats wide receiver Wes Welker, who awkwardly changed direction and tore his ACL and MCL.
A few years after that, while playing for the Ravens, Pollard laid a hit on Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in the AFC title game, and the hit resulted in a high ankle sprain that caused Gronk to be severely limited in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants.
Another year after that, Pollard delivered a helmet-to-helmet blow to New England running back Stevan Ridley, who suffered a concussion on the play.
It's safe to say there's no love lost between Pollard and the Pats. Still, the hard-hitting safety believes that although he doesn't like Brady, the QB should not be suspended for Deflategate.
“Do I feel that he should be suspended four games? I’m going to tell you, no,” Pollard said in an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “This dude is a competitor, man. I don’t think he should’ve been suspended for four games. But I’m not the commissioner, I’m not on that committee that suspended him, and I know he’s going to fight tooth and nail like he does on the field to get back on the field with his team.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell recently upheld Brady's four-game suspension for his alleged role in Deflategate, and the two sides (Brady/NFLPA and the NFL) have of course already taken the case to federal court, where it is being heard by Judge Richard M. Berman. The next court submissions (reply briefs, essentially) are due on August 7, and the Judge also ordered the parties to meet in person and attempt to hash things out a few days after that.
