Bradley's Latest MVC Hall of Famer

Former Bradley Basketball star Marcus Pollard, who enjoyed a 14-year NFL playing career, has been announced a member of The Valley's 20th Hall of Fame class

Bob Hunt - Photographer

2017 MVC Hall of Fame Announcement

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Men's Basketball 8/10/2016 2:21:00 PM

The Missouri Valley Conference will honor its past on Friday, March 3, 2017, when the league conducts its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony in St. Louis.

Marcus Pollard, who played college basketball at Bradley before embarking on a 14-year career as a NFL tight end, will become Bradley's 11th Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Famer as a member of the league's 20th induction class. He joins three long-time administrators in Dr. Don Beggs (Southern Illinois/Wichita State), Dr. Donald Boydston (Southern Illinois) and Dr. Mary Jo Wynn (Missouri State); a women's basketball Olympian in Charlotte Lewis of Illinois State; and a former major league baseball manager and Wichita State baseball star in Eric Wedge, who won a 1989 NCAA Championship with the Shockers.

"The Missouri Valley Conference has always been recognized for the great success of its athletics programs, with a rich history that dates back more than a century," said Commissioner Doug Elgin. "Our MVC Hall of Fame has provided us with an opportunity to honor the student-athletes, coaches, administrators and contributors who have played important roles in the Conference and in intercollegiate athletics."

"The individuals we will be honoring in the Class of 2017 are representative of the men and women who have preceded them in our Hall of Fame. They've brought significant honor to themselves, their institutions and to the Conference. We are truly humbled to have this opportunity to salute them for their achievements."

For the 14th time in 15 years, the league will conduct its annual Hall of Fame ceremony as part the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Championship next March 2-5. The March 3 festivities will begin with an 8:00 a.m. breakfast, followed by the induction ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Tickets to the 2017 Hall of Fame event – scheduled to be held in the Peabody Opera House adjacent to Scottrade Center – can be obtained by calling the league office at (314) 444-4300. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

MARCUS POLLARD, BRADLEY
A native of Lanett, AL (Valley HS), Pollard was a two-year member of the Bradley Basketball team after transferring from Seward County Community College. He helped turn around a Braves program that was 7-23 (3-15 MVC) the year before his arrival to 23-8 (14-4 MVC) during his senior season, which culminated with a run to the third round of the 1994 NIT. During his two-year Bradley career, Pollard started 49 of 58 games, averaging 7.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

More notably, despite not playing football since high school and after attending college at a school that does not sponsor the sport, Pollard went on to enjoy a 14-year career in the NFL as a tight end for the Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots from 1995 to 2008. He played in 192 career regular-season games with 133 career starts, catching 349 passes for 4,280 yards and 40 TDs.

At the time Peyton Manning broke Brett Favre's NFL record for career TD passes in 2014, Pollard was his fourth most-popular TD receiver as 34 of Pollard's 40 career TD's were thrown by Manning. He also played in 11 career playoff games, helping the Colts reach the AFC Championship Game in 2004. Of the more than 50 players from full MVC member institutions to play in the NFL since 1985, former UNI offensive lineman Brad Meester (209 games) is the only player to appear in as many NFL games as Pollard's 192. And among the players from full MVC member schools to play in the NFL since 1985, Pollard's 349 pass receptions remain 128 more than the second-most (UNI's Mike Furrey, 221); his 4280 receiving yards remain 1973 more than the second-most (UNI's Dedric Ward, 2307); and his 40 TDs remain 25 more than the second-most (Illinois State's Laurent Robinson, 15).

After coaching high school football the previous two years, Pollard is beginning his fourth year as the Director of Player Development and Youth Football for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

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