The similarities between Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Illinois Fighting Illini leading rusher Troy Pollard go further than just the amazing coincidence in names. There’s the hair thing too!
You’ve seen Polamalu’s shampoo commercials, right? “Troy Polamolecules dude.”
You can go here for more. But let’s learn more about the man nicknamed “bucket o’ hair.”
Senior RB Troy Pollard (a runner in the Daniel Dufrene, Rocky Harvey mold) leads the Illini ground attack with a team-high 260 yards on only 25 carries (10.4 ypc). Illinois is 14th in the nation in rushing currently.
A fifth-year senior, Pollard (nicknamed “Bucket of hair” for obvious reasons) ran for a career-high 133 yards on 14 attempts (9.5 ypc) last week against Western Michigan, marking his second 100-yard effort in the last three games (101 vs. South Dakota State on 9/10).
He provides the “lightning” in the “thunder and lightning” type backfield approach. Freshman Donovonn Young is the thunder.
Coach Ron Zook has said that if Pollard cut off his dreadlocks he’d be faster.
“I doubt that. No way I cut my hair,” Pollard said about the locks that haven’t been trimmed in six years.
“It’s just a common thing my friends back home people in Florida have, guess I’m part of the trend,” he said.
And the dew isn’t too hot for him.
“It used to, but I’m used to it now, I’m from Florida so I’m used to the heat. I don’t where (the nickname came from) but he just took it and ran with it around the locker room,” Pollard proclaimed.
“It’s pretty good to be 4-0, you should see the smiles and people jumping around in the locker room,” Pollard said about the Illini first 4-0 start since 1951.
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