Gaines for Girls with Riley Gaines - Unleashing the Power of Faith and Sports with David Pollack

00:00:00.540 Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line, but first...

00:00:10.980 There, the last one. Enjoy a Coca-Cola for a pause that refreshes.

00:00:18.040 Welcome to the Gains for Girls podcast. Today we are having on David Pollock, and let me tell you, I've known who he is for a long time, being from a sports family where ESPN was always on.

00:00:39.820 I've seen him on the TV. I've liked, of course, what he does. He's very loud. He projects himself very well. I've been a fan for a long time.

00:00:49.240 But recently, he has come out in support of women, specifically protecting women's sports, which is what we need more men to do.

00:00:58.560 We need more people with platforms to do, and so I could not be more excited for this interview. Check it out here with David Pollock.

00:01:05.540 Well, I am so excited to be on with you. It's just nice to be on with another SEC guy, and we were just talking before this.

00:01:16.440 Hopefully, we can both agree, at least neither of us went to Tennessee. But again, thank you so much for coming on.

00:01:25.180 Absolutely. Thank you for having me.

00:01:26.520 And I'll tell you, my dad, he was also an SEC football player and went on to play in the NFL and all that.

00:01:33.460 And then so football and sports center was always on at my house. And so I've been a big fan of yours for for a long time.

00:01:39.900 But I kind of just wanted you to start by telling us about your career as an athlete, both, of course, at the collegiate level and on.

00:01:47.640 Well, the pro level goes quick, so we can we can start with the collegiate level.

00:01:53.460 I went to Georgia because Georgia was 45 minutes from my house. I did not grow up like a diehard Georgia fan.

00:01:59.580 The best thing Georgia had was Lindsay Pollock, which is now Lindsay Pollock, like being close to her, like was the most important thing.

00:02:06.640 It had nothing to do with football. So it was all about proximity and then obviously falling in love with Georgia.

00:02:11.760 My dad was from New from New York and New Jersey. And so he was always talking about the Giants and NFL.

00:02:17.880 I didn't really talk too much about college football. I went to Georgia and had a fun career for four years and got drafted.

00:02:26.180 By the way, I changed positions several times. I tell people that all the time because people think it's supposed to be easy and it's not like came in as a fullback,

00:02:33.660 moved to defensive tackle when everybody got hurt my freshman year and then moved to defensive end my sophomore year when everybody got drafted.

00:02:40.400 We had four guys drafted. So kind of up and down, figuring out what position, moved, you know, three times and then ended up having a I was a three time All-American.

00:02:50.220 Then I got drafted. And by the way, speaking of Orange, how we started the podcast, I had a hat, Riley, for every team in the draft.

00:02:56.920 I knew I was going to be a first round pick. So whenever they went on the clock, 49ers went first.

00:03:01.940 I put it on. They didn't pick me. I threw it down the steps, which which made it really weird because the Texans actually threw it down the steps.

00:03:09.200 And they traded back up into the top 15. And I was like, crap, I had to go get the hat just to throw it back down the step.

00:03:16.300 Yes. But the only time I literally put on a hat and I was like, yeah, please don't ring was 17.

00:03:22.680 And it was the orange hat with the Cincinnati Bengals. And I was like, man, but they're not very good.

00:03:28.280 The uniforms are terrible. Like, don't ring. And next thing you know, ring.

00:03:32.220 My phone rings. It's Coach Lewis. And he's like, we're taking you with the 17th pick.

00:03:37.760 And I love Cincinnati since that point, like right next to Kentucky.

00:03:41.480 And once I went up there, I was like because I heard so many stories about like it's the armpit of the world.

00:03:45.560 I'm like, this is amazing. This place is awesome and love the people there.

00:03:50.000 But, you know, I was my end of my second season and I broke my neck in a freak, freak play, freak accident.

00:03:57.840 And so my NFL career was super, super short. But football, since I was six years old, was always a huge part of my life.

00:04:05.100 It was something I did, something I loved. And so when that went away and then I got to do, you know, ESPN stuff,

00:04:11.260 I knew I had to have football in some capacity. But my my NFL career was definitely if you if you blinked, you missed it.

00:04:16.940 Well, I can't imagine what you went through and breaking your neck when my dad was playing college football.

00:04:24.940 He played at Vanderbilt. And I'm not sure if you're familiar with the Chucky Mullins story there.

00:04:31.720 So my dad was on the other end. So my dad is Brad Gaines, who was the player ultimately who who Chucky tackled,

00:04:39.920 which ended up breaking Chucky's neck and Chucky ended up passing away.

00:04:43.240 So I've seen the effects, at least from the other side of this within my own family, how it's affected my dad and how that has been translated into how he raised me.

00:04:54.440 Because I think when you you have that perspective of how things can change, how your life can change so very quickly,

00:05:01.840 at least in my own family, it kind of instills a sense of gratitude in you perspective for sure.

00:05:09.540 And I'm sure you can probably relate. It shifts your perspective quickly.

00:05:13.740 I mean, you go from I mean, all I wanted to be was a football player since I was six years old.

00:05:18.340 And that's all I talked about to everybody. And that's all I've dreamed about.

00:05:23.600 And then, you know, literally in one hit, it's gone. And so it's just really it was a big blessing for me because you're sitting there and it's all you work for.

00:05:33.900 And you can relate to this. All you work for so many hours, so much time.

00:05:38.180 And then it's gone. And now it's like, OK, well, what's next?

00:05:42.640 And you know what? I know my God is bigger than my problems.

00:05:45.840 And I know God has something amazing for me.

00:05:48.160 He would have taken me to here if he didn't have something that was so awesome and so unique.

00:05:52.360 So I'm like, I just can't wait what he shows me next.

00:05:54.900 That doesn't mean you don't have time when you're frustrated and you're anxious and you're worried.

00:05:59.420 But like I legitimately I realized that the Bible says be still and know that I am God.

00:06:05.340 And because of training and because of all the things, you don't get a lot of chance to be still.

00:06:09.900 I was always chasing, chasing, chasing, chasing.

00:06:12.440 And I was in a halo for for four months.

00:06:15.520 I was in a neck brace for over a year.

00:06:18.080 And I had a lot of time to be still.

00:06:20.480 And I had a lot of time to to hear from God.

00:06:23.400 So it was I still tell everybody this and they look at me crazy and funky and weird every time I do a speaking engagement.

00:06:29.240 It's one of the top five things that have ever happened in my life because I'm a better dad because of it today.

00:06:34.400 I'm a better husband. I'm a better friend.

00:06:36.760 I mean, just learning what a real friend looks like when you go through something that's really, really tough.

00:06:41.120 So I would not go back and go, man, I wish I had a 10 year career.

00:06:44.740 I like my 10 plays because it's closer to 10 plays in 10 years.

00:06:48.940 But God taught me a lot through it that has definitely helped and helped me become better today.

00:06:53.900 And that's what he does.

00:06:55.580 He knows when we need to be still.

00:06:58.240 And of course, he closes doors and opens opens new ones.

00:07:02.540 But what what did your post football career look like after, of course, you were able to recover from your injury?

00:07:11.240 You mentioned ESPN.

00:07:12.460 How'd you get there?

00:07:14.920 So I'm watching in my in my neck brace.

00:07:19.400 I'm watching in 2007 and I'm watching Kirk Herbstreit talk about Georgia versus LSU and who should be in the national title.

00:07:29.060 And I'm yelling at the TV screen because I thought he was clearly wrong as a Georgia fan.

00:07:33.360 And I literally call my agent the next day.

00:07:37.060 So in my neck brace, I call my agent.

00:07:39.580 I'm like, hey, man, if if I can't do this football thing anymore, which I knew there was a great chance, because if I was at more risk than anybody else, I was like, I'm done.

00:07:47.760 I want babies.

00:07:48.340 Like my first goal was in my life was to play in the NFL.

00:07:51.620 My second goal was to have babies.

00:07:52.880 Like I wanted to be a dad.

00:07:54.620 And and so I told I was watching them.

00:07:57.480 And so I called my agent.

00:07:58.220 I told I was like, I think I want to do the TV thing.

00:07:59.840 He was like, did you go to school for that?

00:08:01.280 I was like, no.

00:08:02.680 He was like, well, why would you want to do TV?

00:08:04.480 I was like, I think I check a lot of the boxes.

00:08:06.520 I'm loud.

00:08:07.160 I'm opinionated.

00:08:07.900 I'm obnoxious.

00:08:08.680 Like, I think I'm like bored to be a commentator.

00:08:12.020 And he was like, all right.

00:08:13.260 So he called a radio station in Atlanta and they got me set up for a four hour sit in.

00:08:19.980 And I sat in with them for four hours and they were like, all right, you know, we'll we'll hire you if you'll move down from Ohio because I'm still in Ohio.

00:08:26.680 My son was born like three months later.

00:08:29.640 And then I literally we drove down with him as a baby, as an infant, drove down to Atlanta and I started doing an afternoon drive talk show in Atlanta.

00:08:37.460 And that's how it started.

00:08:40.320 And then I went like a couple of years later, a year later or two, I went to Fox, local Fox station and started doing television and get this full circle craziness.

00:08:49.200 I'm doing a show called SEC Gridiron Live.

00:08:51.660 Ain't nobody heard of.

00:08:52.660 You can say you have me.

00:08:53.480 Well, my mama didn't watch it. 1.00

00:08:54.540 So I know y'all didn't watch it.

00:08:56.000 And I get a phone call afterwards.

00:08:59.380 And so Kirk was one of my buddies in Ohio because he was with the he went to Ohio State and lived there.

00:09:03.980 And I was with the Bengals.

00:09:05.120 And he was like, hey, man, I was flipping through the channels.

00:09:09.760 I was like, where is this going?

00:09:12.340 And I saw you on SEC Gridiron Live.

00:09:15.580 I'm like, no flipping way.

00:09:17.740 I'm still waiting for the joke.

00:09:19.440 Like and he was like, dude, you're pretty good.

00:09:21.800 He was like, you should you should try this.

00:09:23.720 You should come interview with ESPN.

00:09:25.180 I'm like, yeah, hook your boy up.

00:09:28.300 I'm in.

00:09:28.720 And so he kind of got me got my foot in the door with with ESPN with that.

00:09:33.820 But it's it's just amazing.

00:09:36.520 But like, you know, you think about things that happen.

00:09:39.300 And and I tell people all the time, like you never know what's around the corner.

00:09:43.480 And like so I think when you but the number one thing he said to me, which I think was important,

00:09:48.360 rather, he said, I loves your passion.

00:09:50.480 Like if we have passion in what we do, if you're if you're the coffee getter and your job is to go get coffee

00:09:57.480 and you have passion and you're good at it, be great at it because somebody will notice

00:10:01.360 and it will lead to something special down the road.

00:10:04.660 Wherever you're at and whatever you do, be great at what you're doing.

00:10:07.880 And and Kurt said that he's like, it was your passion and your energy.

00:10:10.720 And then, listen, he got me in the door and it was still, you know,

00:10:13.440 I was still doing recaps on ESPNU from 12 to 2 a.m.

00:10:16.580 Like, but I had to remind myself, like, you're a freshman.

00:10:19.400 You're a sophomore in high school, like in college.

00:10:22.040 Keep grinding, keep grinding, keep grinding.

00:10:23.420 What do you want to do?

00:10:24.160 What do you want to be?

00:10:25.840 But that's literally how I started on television.

00:10:27.980 Then I worked my way to college game day.

00:10:29.960 And I remember I'll never forget when I when I started with when I met with my TV agent for the first time.

00:10:35.300 He was like, hey, man, what show do you what do you want to be in 10 years?

00:10:39.160 And I was like, college game day.

00:10:41.660 He was like, well, that's the best show in college.

00:10:44.720 I was like, yeah, that's what I want to do.

00:10:46.100 He's like, OK.

00:10:47.720 And it was three years.

00:10:50.900 It was two and a half years, three years later.

00:10:52.700 And they expanded it to ESPNU where it was the first hour.

00:10:56.500 And me and Aaron Andrews did the first hour.

00:10:59.180 So I think like what I've learned through all this and what you're learning,

00:11:03.080 I'm sure with your platform and what you're doing is just like God can do amazing things.

00:11:07.600 And just he continues to show off if you'll let him like and you'll invite him in and let him do his thing.

00:11:13.120 It's beyond what you ever can compare to.

00:11:15.840 And he just keeps going, OK, watch this, big fella.

00:11:18.440 I'll show you a little something, something.

00:11:20.200 Of course, he gives and takes away.

00:11:23.840 But I got to ask, being strong in your faith, being a devout Christian, working at ESPN, I could only imagine.

00:11:31.720 Again, of course, I'm not in the inner circles of what this looks like.

00:11:35.980 But did you ever feel any sort of pressure to conform?

00:11:40.560 I think working in TV in general, that industry.

00:11:44.400 You know, this is a great topic because I'm not sure any pressure was ever put on me.

00:11:50.020 But I felt pressure regardless.

00:11:53.840 And it was more of what can I say?

00:11:58.900 What can I not say to get fired?

00:12:01.460 And I think you naturally worry about that as an employee, and especially depending on who you work for and where they stand on things.

00:12:09.080 And that's clear where people stand on things.

00:12:11.360 You can see that really quickly.

00:12:12.640 So I think, you know, what led us to this conversation is because I got fired.

00:12:19.220 It's because, like, literally, I remember sitting there a couple months ago, and I'm like, all right, like, God, what's next?

00:12:25.260 What do you have for me in my life?

00:12:26.620 Where do you want me to be used?

00:12:27.800 Like, I don't care if it's on television.

00:12:30.020 I don't care.

00:12:30.740 I'm a high school football coach, and I love every second of it this year.

00:12:33.840 It was awesome.

00:12:34.480 Like, do you want me to be dad?

00:12:36.000 Like, and be home more?

00:12:36.880 Like, what is it?

00:12:38.060 And what kept coming to my mind is, you know what?

00:12:40.500 Like, I can say a lot more things than I – things that I've wanted to say in the past that I couldn't say.

00:12:46.860 Like, I don't have to worry about that anymore.

00:12:48.580 So, like, it was almost like I'd go, like, what are you going to do about it?

00:12:51.880 Like, what are you going to do?

00:12:53.180 Are you going to make a difference?

00:12:54.660 You know, are you going to – so I think I started a Family Goals podcast a couple years ago, and it was me and my pastor, and we started in a closet.

00:13:02.860 And it's amazing what it's grown to.

00:13:04.540 It's crazy because we literally were like, ah, we'll just do it for a little bit and see how it goes.

00:13:09.120 And we've had some, you know, clips, things that – 5 million-plus views, and you're just like, holy cow, how the flip does that happen?

00:13:16.360 You're like, oh, yeah, God.

00:13:18.300 So I think that, yes, you do feel the pressure.

00:13:22.160 You feel like I'm one comment away from being fired.

00:13:25.440 And, you know, what I want to encourage people to understand is, like, there's a lot of – I knew a ton of country musicians and been around them for years.

00:13:33.840 And I think a lot of them are worried about saying things because you worry about your brand.

00:13:38.160 But, like, you're still going to have your brand regardless, and you can still say your views, and you can still share your views.

00:13:44.500 Now, listen, I'm never going to – I'm going to try, try to never do it in a mean manner or a condescending manner.

00:13:51.940 And I'm not going to curse, and I'm not going to try to belittle people.

00:13:54.280 But, you know, just because my views are my views doesn't mean that I'm being rude.

00:14:00.300 Just because I believe the way I believe, and it might not fit in the way – in the realm that it fits with you, it doesn't mean I'm wrong.

00:14:08.100 And it doesn't mean that you're wrong.

00:14:09.960 You can – like, beliefs are your beliefs, and you can have them.

00:14:13.700 I just – I hope people – and I know I will because I'm getting talks with people for the future.

00:14:19.380 And I am who I am, and that's going to be a part of the package, whether you want it or not.

00:14:24.800 And that's where we'll start.

00:14:25.940 And that's – and I think that's something that I've learned through this is, like, you can do you and be you.

00:14:31.720 And if they want you, they'll keep you around.

00:14:33.420 And if they don't, that's fine.

00:14:34.420 God will provide another opportunity.

00:14:36.780 No doubt.

00:14:38.040 And to your point, going back to the pressure piece of the internal pressure almost, it's like you're putting pressure on yourself.

00:14:46.460 I totally, totally understand that.

00:14:48.600 So, it's unique that it's a lot broader than what I realized, too.

00:14:53.960 And, of course, talking to Sage Steele, who I just think is absolutely incredible.

00:15:00.640 She's so awesome.

00:15:02.300 Oh, she's so amazing.

00:15:04.040 And so, both of you, like I said, have been just big fans for a long time for various reasons.

00:15:10.920 But, again, both of you, I was ecstatic recently when, of course, you – the first time I saw it, I believe, was on Twitter.

00:15:18.680 I remember when you posted this post and it said something to the effect of women's sports aren't a transfer portal for mediocre male athletes or something to that effect.

00:15:28.720 And I thought what was so awesome was your caption, you know, where are the men, where are the girl dads?

00:15:37.140 I just want you to elaborate on that.

00:15:39.440 What kind of compelled you to take that stand?

00:15:44.200 I'll say unpopular stand.

00:15:45.500 We both know it is the popular stand, but unpopular stand in terms of the media and kind of this cancel culture that we live in.

00:15:55.500 Well, you know, it's interesting.

00:15:56.600 Sage posted something a while ago, and she said something about men.

00:16:02.080 She said men and women, like, where are you that are going to stand up?

00:16:05.440 And, honestly, I've heard your story for years, and I was like, how the heck is that even possible?

00:16:12.060 Well, I worked in college football.

00:16:13.420 I worked at the NCAA, and I know how bad they are at their job.

00:16:17.580 So you knew it could be possible?

00:16:19.360 I mean, just be calling a spade a spade?

00:16:22.840 So, like, I knew the story.

00:16:25.300 And Sage said that, and I'm like, okay.

00:16:29.120 This episode is brought to you by Peloton.

00:16:31.040 To me, in my head, I looked at it like, this is a woman's thing.

00:16:58.220 It's not my place.

00:16:59.160 Like, that's the way my brain works.

00:17:00.920 For a while.

00:17:02.080 And now I'm like, you know what?

00:17:03.680 No, it is my place.

00:17:05.120 Like, again, new free opportunity or new freedom with where I'm at in life.

00:17:10.440 But I'm like, how is this?

00:17:11.760 And to me, this is very commonsensical.

00:17:13.740 And I think to most people, it's very commonsensical.

00:17:17.260 But I was like, you know what?

00:17:18.540 You need to say something.

00:17:19.920 You need to do something.

00:17:20.700 And a lot of the stuff that I do, man, I'll be honest, a lot of it is what's inside of me.

00:17:25.520 It's Holy Spirit-driven.

00:17:26.380 Like, it's something I feel like, okay, I need to do something with that.

00:17:29.320 Like, I need to say something.

00:17:30.440 I need to act.

00:17:31.440 Like, I try to do that most of the time in my life.

00:17:34.500 And I've seen it become more and more prevalent.

00:17:38.380 And I'm like, all right.

00:17:39.100 Like, certainly at some point, we need to understand, like, this isn't right.

00:17:42.580 And do I need to go into the reasons why?

00:17:46.260 Like, men have testosterone through the roof.

00:17:48.940 Women do not. 1.00

00:17:49.800 Like, it's literally like telling me, like, hey, let's go do it.

00:17:52.800 We're going to do a race car race.

00:17:54.220 And one has an engine that's just ginormous.

00:17:56.640 And the other one's got this tiny little engine.

00:17:58.640 Let's see who wins.

00:17:59.640 And let's see who doesn't get hurt.

00:18:02.140 Like, and I think my daughter, I've coached her since she's in third grade.

00:18:06.800 And she's a basketball player. 0.88

00:18:08.540 And she's a good hooper. 0.99

00:18:09.600 And she loves hoops.

00:18:11.140 And you start to go, like, wait a minute.

00:18:13.180 If she faces this, which now becomes more and more and more and more realistic, like, how am I going to feel about it?

00:18:18.800 And so, like, it doesn't really affect me right now.

00:18:23.320 But as you get older, you're starting to realize, like, dude, you got to stand up for what's right.

00:18:27.540 And this is a very easy thing.

00:18:29.520 Like, this is not difficult.

00:18:31.240 This is not hard.

00:18:32.200 Anybody who has something to say, I don't care in the slightest.

00:18:35.740 Riley, I think one of the things God gave me a long time ago, I don't care what people think.

00:18:39.660 I don't care what people say.

00:18:41.220 I love when people ridicule me.

00:18:43.400 Like, I thoroughly enjoy it.

00:18:45.260 Like, and Reese Davis used to always, he was like, you're the only one that I've ever seen that actually enjoys the hatred on social media.

00:18:51.220 I do.

00:18:51.760 I like it.

00:18:52.700 I don't know why, but I think it's funny.

00:18:54.980 Like, I think, again, if something you have to say makes somebody so passionate about something, whether it's one direction or the other, your words matter.

00:19:05.400 Like, what you say matter.

00:19:07.160 And I love more than anything saying something on social media and then be like, God, I hate your opinion.

00:19:12.620 I hate this.

00:19:13.480 But I love that you stand for Jesus.

00:19:14.780 You know, and that's like, that's like my, that's my favorite of all when I, when I get something.

00:19:19.580 So I think I've seen enough and I've been on the sidelines long enough where, like, I don't know what, what difference I can make, but like, I'm dang sure going to try because it's definitely the right thing to do.

00:19:32.100 Well, I, of course, couldn't agree more.

00:19:34.720 And I think we've been missing the men.

00:19:36.920 And I think it's for the reason you said, and understandably so.

00:19:41.260 It's, it's, hasn't been a men's issue.

00:19:43.800 Men aren't necessarily impacted by women, of course, coming into their sports and losing out on opportunities because that's not, that's not happening.

00:19:53.260 It won't happen.

00:19:53.900 It won't ever happen, at least at the most competitive level.

00:19:56.760 So, yeah, I don't think men saw it as their problem at University of Kentucky, where we, of course, have a men's swim team and a women's swim team.

00:20:06.100 When we were kind of going through all of this and it was, it was very influential on the women's team, the men kind of just laughed because objectively it was funny.

00:20:16.760 They were like, oh my gosh, this is like a circus.

00:20:19.280 Can't believe you guys have to deal with it.

00:20:20.800 Have fun type of thing.

00:20:22.040 And it's, it's because they didn't feel threatened by it.

00:20:24.680 But I agree, as these cases, instances continue to happen, especially as a dad having a daughter of your own, I think more and more men will speak out.

00:20:35.960 I love the one you posted yesterday or the day before where you said, make common sense common again.

00:20:41.160 And that's, that's a lot broader than this, this sports issue.

00:20:46.620 Just in general, we need common sense watching a lot of the different issues that are transpiring, really stemming down even from the top.

00:20:57.140 Oh my gosh.

00:20:58.060 It makes you wonder when common sense will be common again.

00:21:01.880 Hey, speaking of, so how is it for you now?

00:21:04.700 Like you go from swimmer and now like you're, you're, you're debating people that are, are, you're talking about things to people that you probably situations you never thought you'd talk about.

00:21:16.740 Like, how is that?

00:21:18.340 Like, and you calling people out, which was absolutely gorgeous yesterday.

00:21:21.680 Was that yesterday?

00:21:22.580 Cause that was, that was phenomenal when she was like, wait a minute, like I'm pissed. 1.00

00:21:27.260 Like I'm going to say something about this.

00:21:28.720 And then wait a minute, I can't really say anything about it.

00:21:32.880 It's easy to do.

00:21:34.700 Uh, I think they want you to think they're intimidating.

00:21:36.880 And at first, my first couple of times testifying before Congress, I did.

00:21:40.660 I thought, I mean, they intimidated me, uh, as you said, 23 years old.

00:21:44.400 Uh, I don't know what I'm doing.

00:21:46.980 Uh, I just know men and women are different.

00:21:49.200 And of course being impacted by this, uh, that I was intimidated at first, but oh my gosh, I realized pretty quickly.

00:21:58.320 They're not intimidating. 1.00

00:21:59.660 They're actually just stupid. 1.00

00:22:01.340 Uh, that's kind of how that goes. 1.00

00:22:04.300 So, so yeah, it's, uh, people say all the time, you know, how do you find the bravery or the courage?

00:22:10.960 Easily, uh, because I'm saying the most basic thing anyone could possibly say, uh, which is nice.

00:22:17.200 This topic is so easy because I don't have to prepare.

00:22:19.420 I didn't have to prepare for, for these, these hard questions at Congress because it's all so easily rebuttaled.

00:22:26.340 I mean, you're like, this is common sense.

00:22:28.460 Like, hold on, let's talk about this.

00:22:30.020 Do we need an anatomy lesson?

00:22:31.720 Like, do we need to talk?

00:22:32.780 How much in depth do we need to go into this?

00:22:35.060 Like, it shouldn't be that hard.

00:22:37.100 Oh my gosh.

00:22:37.960 Uh, I want to give you the opportunity to talk about both your podcast and, uh, uh, your, your Pollock family foundation.

00:22:44.360 Um, I, I, uh, checked out the website and different things and it looks incredible.

00:22:50.080 Uh, and so I just want to give you the opportunity to, to talk about this and what you guys are doing over there.

00:22:55.780 Well, the family goals is the podcast that I mentioned.

00:22:58.480 It's called family goals.

00:22:59.580 I started with my pastor and, um, we literally just tackle subjects that you're all dealing with.

00:23:05.860 Like we're all like, we just recently we lost, um, me and my wife lost my, my best friend's wife.

00:23:12.100 You know, she was 40 years old.

00:23:13.520 She passed, you know, really quickly.

00:23:15.340 So my wife lost her best friend and my best friend lost his wife.

00:23:18.680 And so we did a couple episodes on grieving.

00:23:20.840 Like, just how do you grieve?

00:23:23.140 And it was, it was hard and it was tough, man.

00:23:25.920 And it was raw.

00:23:26.640 And I, I mean, I'm crying tears because it was hard and, um, just learning how to be there for him.

00:23:32.360 And, you know, we just, we do things like, uh, the, the five love languages.

00:23:35.620 Everybody's heard about the five love languages for your spouse.

00:23:38.080 Well, like those are also pertinent for your kids.

00:23:41.080 And so we went through them and talked about our kids and how do we, um, apply easy, simple principles to, to parenting, but while keeping the main thing, the main thing.

00:23:50.540 And for us, like, it's a very simple thing.

00:23:52.280 Like God starts at the top, our marriage is next.

00:23:55.020 And then, then comes your kids.

00:23:56.900 And I think there's some people that's a, that's a, that doesn't work that way.

00:24:00.660 And the kids come first and we're so, and then we've had, you know, so many people on.

00:24:05.620 From, you know, from coach Rick to Tony Dungy to Scott drew to the list goes up Davo to, I mean, we've had a ton of people that have come on and just shared their faith journey, shared those stories.

00:24:15.900 But it's really about having, how to live a life of faith today with very simple, applicable things, because I'm not very bright.

00:24:24.080 Like I've been hitting the head a lot in football and you can't give me like these broad stroke things.

00:24:29.140 Like I needed to be brought in and be like, all right, give me one action step.

00:24:32.740 So that was the family goals.

00:24:34.280 And then the Pollock family foundation, we started about 10 years ago.

00:24:39.240 And, um, man, we've, we've kind of morphed over the years and really like whatever, whenever we see a need, we're going to meet it.

00:24:46.140 And so like the Athens area, what we've learned is like, there's a big homeless population and there's a lot of those that are in need.

00:24:52.800 So like, we just came up with this, you know, 12 weeks ago and put it into place, but we did the banquet of blessings and we, we bust in the homeless from the surrounding area, from all the surrounding areas.

00:25:05.360 And we threw a feast for them.

00:25:07.360 Like we threw a feast.

00:25:08.780 It was a throw down, Riley.

00:25:10.280 Like they come in and they got served their food.

00:25:13.760 They got served their drink as much as you want.

00:25:16.400 We had Ebenezer gospel choir playing gospel music.

00:25:19.540 Um, and we just loved on them and let them know that they, that they mattered.

00:25:22.380 And like, like, listen, dude, I'm one decision away from being you.

00:25:25.180 Like you, you're, you're in a hard time.

00:25:27.480 How can we help?

00:25:28.220 Like, how can we help pull you out?

00:25:29.640 And my favorite part was the vision I had before we started was Christmas morning for these folks.

00:25:36.360 Like they wake up next year in the month of November and they go, that is the best day of my year.

00:25:41.120 And so they went over to outside to a table and every single one of them, a thousand, by the way, 988 people came, um, got sleeping bags, got a brand new coat, got a brand new toothbrush, wipes, dental floss, uh, gloves, a scarf, a beanie, um, wool socks for the winter season.

00:25:59.080 Um, so we just got them a cool little like swag bag of things, um, and just loved on them.

00:26:05.260 And then next year, obviously this is an event that we'll definitely do yearly, but that's

00:26:09.540 what our foundation is literally like, Hey, where, where's the need in our community and

00:26:13.480 where can we go plug in and help serve and, um, bring money to it, bring recognition to

00:26:18.700 it, events, whatever that looks like and whatever we can do to help.

00:26:21.800 So that's what those two things are about that we're doing here.

00:26:24.620 Well, how amazing, uh, it makes you realize, I'm sure how fortunate we are, uh, to, to live

00:26:33.000 the lives that we live, to have the things that we have, to live in the country that we

00:26:36.760 live in.

00:26:37.740 Uh, man, it's again, about the, about the perspective.

00:26:41.000 Uh, and it certainly shifts once you see, just as, just as you said, uh, it's, it's truly

00:26:46.620 one decision away, uh, from, from, from, from that.

00:26:50.700 Uh, so you know what you, you know, what I've learned rallying for this, from all this stuff

00:26:54.400 with our foundation is like, I always serve to, to be the blessing.

00:27:00.780 And now I realized when I serve, I get the blessing.

00:27:03.900 I don't get, they don't get the blessing.

00:27:05.780 Like I get the blessing because I get to watch their faces and my prayer coming into the event.

00:27:11.320 I'm trying not to cry.

00:27:12.300 Cause I'm always emotional.

00:27:13.700 Um, my prayer coming into the event was, I was like, God, I don't want a single thank

00:27:17.280 you.

00:27:17.500 And I don't want to do this for a single thank you.

00:27:19.700 And then the Genesis behind this, the scripture was Luke 14, 12 through 14.

00:27:23.460 And Jesus talks about when you throw a banquet, and that's why we called it a banquet.

00:27:27.220 He said, when you throw a banquet or a feast, it don't invite all your friends and the rich

00:27:31.100 and the ones that can repay you, but invite the blind, the lame, the crippled, the ones 1.00

00:27:34.640 that can't repay you.

00:27:35.760 And then you will get a reward at the resurrection.

00:27:38.000 And that was the Genesis behind it.

00:27:39.460 But I'm just sitting there and I'm like, I don't want to thank you.

00:27:42.280 It's not about a thank you.

00:27:43.220 It's not how they react has nothing to do with what we're going to do.

00:27:45.880 But when you got somebody, I had a guy come up to me, I'm not going to cry.

00:27:49.500 I had a guy come up to me and he goes, man, I had to make a decision this week.

00:27:53.880 And he said, I had to make a decision between my sleeping bag and my coat.

00:27:57.720 And I was like, holy cow.

00:28:00.040 Like that's, that's the realness.

00:28:02.720 Like that's the real stuff.

00:28:03.600 Little girl comes in and she grabs my hand and she's like, I'm so excited to eat.

00:28:07.220 I'm starving.

00:28:07.780 I haven't eaten in a day.

00:28:08.740 Like, and she was so excited and she had her brand new, like pink coat on.

00:28:13.560 And, um, and she, I grabbed her hand.

00:28:16.080 We go to the line and then she looks over and she sees the jumpy house because we had

00:28:20.800 jumpy houses for the kids and we had a play area because they don't get to be kids all

00:28:24.000 the time, you know?

00:28:24.740 So like literally she went from being starving, ready to eat.

00:28:28.740 She's like jumpy house and sprinted over in the jumpy house. 1.00

00:28:32.780 Um, so it's, that's, that's what we've learned for sure.

00:28:35.900 Like we, we get the, we get, we're the ones who gets the blessing.

00:28:39.280 Like these folks need a break and need sometimes somebody to love on them and give them a chance.

00:28:44.680 And, uh, that's what's, that's, what's the most cool about it.

00:28:48.000 Well, let me tell you, that inspires me to be a better Christian, uh, to be a better,

00:28:53.160 I mean, you said it, friend, wife, daughter, all the things.

00:28:57.140 So I can't even tell you just, just like you said, uh, you might feel like, uh,

00:29:02.300 they have become a light to you, but you are a light to so many, uh, those people, but,

00:29:07.700 but really others around you as well.

00:29:09.600 Um, one final question.

00:29:11.720 And I have to ask you, given the fact that you're a professional football analyst here,

00:29:17.360 you know what the question is, who you got and by how much?

00:29:23.320 Oh man.

00:29:24.240 First of all, FSU got hosed.

00:29:26.000 They got hosed bad.

00:29:27.180 I felt bad for FSU.

00:29:28.280 I felt bad for everybody there, um, to go undefeated.

00:29:32.300 Golly, man, that is so hard to do.

00:29:34.540 Um, they just had their women's soccer team win a national championship, which was kind

00:29:39.640 of cool.

00:29:40.060 I thought, uh, at least one of their undefeated teams.

00:29:43.400 At least they got a chance to play for it.

00:29:45.200 That's good.

00:29:46.120 Um, so I, I think, um, this, I think this will surprise people.

00:29:49.940 I think Texas is going to win the national championship.

00:29:52.940 Um, I think they've had some ups and downs, but I really do think from an offensive standpoint,

00:29:57.920 they're really, really good.

00:29:59.620 They got playmakers.

00:30:00.580 They got a good QB.

00:30:01.400 They got a great system.

00:30:02.860 And I think they've got dudes and college football has benefited.

00:30:06.200 Again, if you like diversity now, look, if you like Alabama and Georgia and Clemson and

00:30:11.080 all those teams, Ohio state, Michigan being the teams every year, like then we'll keep

00:30:16.080 everything as it is.

00:30:16.740 But the transfer portal and NIL has opened up the whole football world.

00:30:20.440 Like now everybody, everybody's in the same boat.

00:30:23.060 Cause now like, let's be honest, people were paying for people regardless.

00:30:26.760 Now everybody gets to do it.

00:30:28.580 And so in the talent spread out, cause you used to go to Georgia and say, Hey, uh, I'll

00:30:33.480 develop here.

00:30:34.120 And then in two years I'll play in three years, I'll play now.

00:30:36.900 They're like, wait a minute.

00:30:37.880 I can go right now, go over here and play.

00:30:40.120 Like I'm going to go play.

00:30:41.060 So it's kind of balanced everything out, but I think Texas, they've never been to the

00:30:45.580 college football playoff.

00:30:46.820 They go to the last one.

00:30:48.340 And I think it'd be fitting for the Longhorns as they come into the sec, um, to win the,

00:30:53.800 to win the big 12 and then win the national championship.

00:30:56.720 Yeah.

00:30:57.240 Yeah.

00:30:57.600 Now who's playing them?

00:30:59.560 Oh man.

00:31:01.100 I, I want to say Michigan.

00:31:03.860 I really do.

00:31:04.660 And I think Michigan's a better team.

00:31:06.300 I think that's fair.

00:31:07.520 I think, but Alabama's Alabama.

00:31:10.340 They always stick around and they always do crazy things, but I'll go, I'll go, I'll

00:31:15.860 go Michigan.

00:31:16.640 I'll go Michigan and Texas for the natty.

00:31:18.860 How about that?

00:31:19.640 There we go.

00:31:20.420 Uh, I, I will, I'll be, uh, following.

00:31:23.880 We're going to come back and check you on this.

00:31:25.840 So.

00:31:26.460 All right.

00:31:27.500 That's good.

00:31:28.180 Hey, not many of those work out.

00:31:31.340 Let's not do that.

00:31:33.300 Uh, I appreciate you so much.

00:31:35.520 Uh, I, I think this has been, um, one of the, the, the

00:31:40.320 most, uh, I think influential podcasts for people to listen to, at least of course, from

00:31:46.040 my platform.

00:31:46.600 Uh, I have a lot of really awesome people on, uh, policy experts, uh, people who have

00:31:52.080 been impacted by a lot of, a lot of the things we see, but to have someone on who is, uh,

00:31:57.520 so strong in his faith and unapologetic and, uh, willing to do the right thing for the right

00:32:03.080 reasons, uh, that is certainly rare.

00:32:05.340 And I think it's something that everyone can learn from.

00:32:08.720 Uh, so I couldn't be more grateful for you.

00:32:10.800 Well, thank you for having me on and keep doing what you're doing because it's, it's

00:32:14.240 awesome and it's needed.

00:32:15.680 And, uh, I love when you made that lady look silly yesterday. 1.00

00:32:19.320 I'm sorry. 0.69

00:32:19.840 That was really funny.

00:32:21.020 So keep doing what you're doing.

00:32:22.560 Of course.

00:32:23.200 Thank you very much.

00:32:24.880 I do not know how you could listen to that and not be a David Pollack fan.

00:32:29.180 Uh, truly someone who is so confident and secure in themselves and the reasons why they

00:32:36.380 do what they do, um, with a smile on his face at all times.

00:32:41.140 Uh, that's certainly inspiring to me and I hope it is to you as well.

00:32:45.360 Uh, thanks for watching.

00:32:46.800 You can like comment, subscribe anywhere where you get your podcasts, Apple, Spotify, outkick.com.

00:32:52.820 Uh, and we will see you here next week.

00:32:59.180 Bye.

Gaines for Girls with Riley Gaines - December 13, 2023

Unleashing the Power of Faith and Sports with David Pollack

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