Jamil Pollard is leaving Penn State and will be a Rutgers Scarlet Knight in a matter of weeks, West Deptford High School football coach Clyde Folsom told the Gloucester County Times Tuesday.
The move comes after the announcement of heavy sanctions against the Nittany Lions’ football program in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal. The cover-up by Penn State officials resulted in major penalties for the football team, including a bowl ban that would’ve meant Pollard would’ve never seen the postseason.
Around a half-dozen teams came calling after it was announced Penn State freshmen, Pollard included, would be released from their commitment to the school by the NCAA and allowed to enroll elsewhere and immediately suit up for their new school, Folsom told the Times.
Besides Penn State, Pollard had been recruited heavily by Boston College and Rutgers—Boston College was still in the mix last fall, before Pollard re-committed to the Nittany Lions—and Todd Jarrell, one of Pollard’s teammates at West Deptford, had said Rutgers was a potential destination after the NCAA sanctions against Penn State were announced.
Pollard had not officially been listed on the Rutgers roster as of late Tuesday night, and there was no official announcement from the Scarlet Knights on bringing Pollard into the fold.
Though Penn State had been his dream, Pollard told West Deptford Patch columnist Mary Lebeau football, above all else, was his destiny.
“Growing up, a lot of people told me I was big, so I wanted to use that,” said the 6-4, 270-pound senior this spring. “I aimed to make a mark in football.”
thomas
2:53 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
BEst of luck to Jamie and as well to Penn State.