Bengals 2005 first-round draft pick David Pollack conducted a conference call with local Cincinnati media following his selection. The transcript follows:
LINEBACKER DAVID POLLACK
Q: What was your first reaction to the Bengals drafting you, and who called you?
DP:
"One of the coaches called me. I didn't get his name because I was just so excited. My reaction was 'finally' and 'thank God.' I was just happy to get selected."
Q: Where do you fit in with this defense? It looks like your going to play outside linebacker and maybe put your hand on the ground on third-down plays.
DP:
"That would be something that I would love to do. I haven't talked to the team enough to know which position or anything like that. Your guess is as good as mine. It's an exciting time, that's for sure."
Q: How much did they talk to you before the draft? Is this something you thought might happen, coming to Cincinnati?
DR:
"They invited me up for a visit but I couldn't make it. That was the first sign that I knew they might be interested. I hadn't talked to them much. but I knew they wanted me to come up for a visit."
Q: They said you and the Bengals had an extra 45 minutes at the combine to talk. What did you talk about?
DP:
"I remember that conversation because we set it up outside. It wasn't a scheduled meeting. I talked with coach Lewis and his staff. We talked about football. That's really all you talk about at the combine. We talked about positions and stuff like that. Then it comes down to what they need and where you fit in."
Q: What did you think of head coach Marvin Lewis?
DP:
"I think he was awesome. He has a real cool and collective demeanor. It seems to me like he's a real sharp guy. It was awesome to meet him. You see him on television, so it was nice to meet him and see how he is in person."
Q: What kind of player are you, and what do you know about the Bengals?
DP:
"I'm a player who has played a long time, and I know how to play the game. Obviously, I might (change) positions, but I think I have good instincts, play hard and try to make the most of what I have."
Q: Lewis said you were magnetic. What does that mean to you?
DP:
"I don't know in what context that was used. I would consider myself a leader. I have been a leader all the way up in playing sports. I think leaders including myself bust their butt and practice hard. They put themselves in the right positions at the right time and don't do things out of the ordinary, like go out and get into trouble. As you get better and develop, you naturally take on leadership roles. This is something I've always enjoyed doing. I like working my way up from the bottom."
Q: You've been compared to Tedy Bruschi. How do you feel about that comparison and always being around the ball?
DP:
"You can't compare me to him yet because he's obviously done a lot more than I have. It's definitely a compliment when you're compared to a guy who's a Pro Bowler. He represents a lot of things that I would like to represent. That's something that I would like to be compared to. He's a great character guy. He plays hard, he's a team player and he's going to do whatever the team wants him to do."
Do you have questions about your own ability to transition to outside linebacker? DP: "I have to discuss that with the coaches today, and I have to see where I fit in. I'm eager to get up there and start to soak up everything like a sponge. I don't think it's going to be that difficult; I just think it's going to take a lot of work. I think, when you're in a new position, there is always going to be different struggles. I don't know enough about linebacker compared to defensive end."
