Matt Olszewski
Senior Sports Editor
Camryn Pollard ’21, a defensive back on the Fighting Scots football team, was ecstatic to be back out on the field against DePauw University on Saturday, March 13. In his final semester at Wooster, he has tried to take advantage of every possible moment he can spend with his teammates and friends. During his first season at Wooster, he was a multi-position star who was a key part of the Scots’ secondary and the primary return specialist. On Oct. 21, 2017, he opened the Hiram contest with a school-record 97-yard kick return. Pollard scored his first collegiate touchdown a week prior on a 43-yard interception return versus Oberlin. Defensively, he has been a force to be reckoned with. Pollard logged 30 tackles and was third on the team with a pair of interceptions. The next season — Fall 2018 — he earned second-team All-NCAC honors as a return specialist after leading the NCAC with a 20.7 average on punt returns.
Pollard has been a key player for the Scots all throughout college and has loved being a member of Wooster football. He reflected on his favorite memory as a Fighting Scot athlete and as part of his team. “My favorite memory was setting the school record for the longest kick return in school history my freshman year.” Regarding his team, he said, “These are my brothers for life. The guys have been there for me through all the ups and downs, and I can’t thank them enough.”
COVID-19 has affected athletes in countless ways. As for Pollard and his team, he mentioned that his team has always been close with each other. “COVID just made things better for us because now we have to hold each other accountable on a different level in order for us to play,” said Pollard. The Scots faced off against the DePauw Tigers on Saturday, March 13. Despite the loss, Pollard had been eagerly waiting to play alongside his teammates. “Sheesh. After 483 days, it felt wonderful to line up across from somebody who’s not a Fighting Scot. It was definitely bittersweet.”
He wouldn’t be in the same position he is in today if it were not for his coaches. “My coaches have believed in me since the first day they recruited me. On and off the field, they’ve pushed me to become a better man than what I came to college as,” Pollard remarked. In his last semester at Wooster, Pollard described his Independent Study (I.S.) and what he is investigating. “My I.S. talks about the experiences of Black police officers and if the Black community supports them. I looked at this topic because we’ve been going through a lot of police brutality in the world and the career that I want to go into deals with law enforcement. So, I wanted to see what type of responses I would get to give me some insight on how my community thinks,” described Pollard.
Pollard and his team will play Ohio Wesleyan University at John Papp Stadium on Friday, April 2, at 5:00 p.m.
