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12 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED Despite uncertainty whether he will get a call from an NFL team, former Boilermakers standout safety Bernard Pollard doesn't appear to be losing any sleep. Pollard, who roamed the Purdue secondary for three seasons, always has been an in-your-face type guy, dating back to his tumultuous final season as a Boiler- maker in 2005 before he left a year early for the NFL. Now, he is hoping for a 10th year in the NFL following an Achilles' injury in October. Q: Where is your status with respect to playing in 2015? A: "I'm just kind of chilling. Since college and nine years in the NFL, this is the first time I've really had a chance to see my family for an offseason. This has been re- freshing to be able to see the kids and do things with them. It's been a lot of fun. Football players, we make a sacrifice when we play this game. I have some- thing to prove. I think a lot of people look at my age and the injury. This is a serious injury, but I've bounced back and I'm ready to roll." Q: Any particular team interested? A: "I've talked with the Bengals, Giants and Bills. With today's NFL, you can tell (if they like you), but you can't. I don't really want to dissect what a coach is thinking, what a GM is thinking. As I've stated to all of these teams, I'm a football player. I play ball. I'm going to show up. I'm a veteran. I can do it. I'm an enforcer. I love what I do. That's what you're going to get when you get Bernard Pollard Jr." Q: What did your Purdue experience teach you? A: "When I look at everything that happened, I wish that I could change some things, but you can't. I have since had the opportunity to speak to Coach Joe Tiller about the way that I left. I didn't like the way that I left, and obviously he didn't like the way that I left. We've talk- ed. Morgan Burke, we've talked. We could probably talk more. "Still, I look at it as a great experience. I got a chance to learn about life, learn about football and I know Purdue University is really an awesome school. I love it to death, and I'm going to go back and finish my communications degree, (being a semester short)." Q: Where do you call home? A: "Brentwood, Tenn., a suburb of Nash- ville. My wife and three kids love it there. It is more my speed. We will stay there no mat- ter what happens. The kids are getting older, and they're making friends. My son (age 7) is a boy's boy. He loves being around other dudes who want to run around and play. My oldest daughter (age 5), she's the opposite. She's a girl's girl. She loves playing with other girls, with the dolls. My youngest (age 2), she's going to be a terror. Nash- ville is fantastic. It's more our speed. " — Pollard, as told to Alan Karpick. The com- plete interview will be featured in an upcom- ing edition of "Gold and Black Biography." Download the free podcast by searching "Gold and Black Radio" on iTunes or on your smart phone. Boiler Index Photos by Tennessee (Pollard); Tom Campbell (Hazell, Painter); Bob Mitchell (Ray Smith, Peach Bowl); Purdue (stadium rending)