Tommy Polley
Encyclopedia
Tommy William Polley was an American football
player in the NFL
. He originally played for the St. Louis Rams
from 2001 to 2004 before signing with the Ravens as a free agent in 2005. He played only one season with the Ravens before signing with the Saints on June 2, 2006. Polley grew up in Baltimore and played football for Dunbar High School. He was a Top 50 Basketball prospect according to Hoop Scoop.
in Baltimore, which is regarded as one of the top producers of basketball talent in the country. He was USA Today
’s Player-of-the-Year in Maryland after recording 208 tackles (136 solo), 16 sacks and eight interceptions as a senior. He also caught 34 passes for 567 yards and three TDs. He led his team to back-to-back state championships as a junior and senior and was named Baltimore area Defensive Player-of-the-Year after both his junior and senior campaigns. He was also regarded as one of the country’s top 60 basketball prospects and led the Poets to four straight state titles—averaged 20.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game as a senior.
n, First-team All-ACC
selection, and a finalist for the ACC’s Brian Piccolo Award (as a result of his courageous comeback from the injury he suffered in the Sugar Bowl). In his final season at FSU, Polley had 100 tackles with 53 solo tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, broke up 7 passes, and recovered a team-high 3 fumbles and forced one. The defensive leader and captain took the Seminoles to another National Championship
(2001 Orange Bowl), even though his team ultimately lost 13-2 to the Oklahoma Sooners
. In his junior year in 1999 Polley had an outstanding season when he led Florida State with 109 tackles (67 solos) and also had six stops for loss. He earned First-team All-ACC accolades. In his Sophomore Year (1998) he started 12 of 13 games at both outside linebacking posts and had 59 total tackles (37 solo) and had two tackles for loss. 1997 was his redshman Year (and he totaled 21 tackles with 13 solo stops in first year of action and played in all 12 games and had at least one tackle in eight games. In 1996 he Redshirted along with most of his class.
on the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft
. He finished his rookie season with 67 tackles (50 solo). Polley went on to have a solid 6-year NFL career, amassing 304 tackles with 224 solo stops, and retired in 2007 after a shoulder injury sidelined him for most of the season. After 4 seasons with the Rams, he finished his career by spending one-year with the Baltimore Ravens
and his final year with the New Orleans Saints
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He originally played for the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
from 2001 to 2004 before signing with the Ravens as a free agent in 2005. He played only one season with the Ravens before signing with the Saints on June 2, 2006. Polley grew up in Baltimore and played football for Dunbar High School. He was a Top 50 Basketball prospect according to Hoop Scoop.
Early years
Polley was hailed as one of the top prep athletes in the nation during his senior year at Dunbar High SchoolPaul Laurence Dunbar High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School is a public secondary school located in Baltimore, Maryland.-History:Dunbar opened in 1918 as the Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School, No. 101. It was named in memory of Paul Laurence Dunbar, an African-American poet, who had died ten years earlier...
in Baltimore, which is regarded as one of the top producers of basketball talent in the country. He was USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
’s Player-of-the-Year in Maryland after recording 208 tackles (136 solo), 16 sacks and eight interceptions as a senior. He also caught 34 passes for 567 yards and three TDs. He led his team to back-to-back state championships as a junior and senior and was named Baltimore area Defensive Player-of-the-Year after both his junior and senior campaigns. He was also regarded as one of the country’s top 60 basketball prospects and led the Poets to four straight state titles—averaged 20.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game as a senior.
College career
Polley enrolled at Florida State University as a scholarship player. He ended his collegiate career with 289 tackles (170 solo) and was a semi-finalist for the Butkus Award, Third-team Football News All-AmericaAll-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n, First-team All-ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
selection, and a finalist for the ACC’s Brian Piccolo Award (as a result of his courageous comeback from the injury he suffered in the Sugar Bowl). In his final season at FSU, Polley had 100 tackles with 53 solo tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, broke up 7 passes, and recovered a team-high 3 fumbles and forced one. The defensive leader and captain took the Seminoles to another National Championship
National championship
A national championship is the top achievement for any sport or contest in a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, individual in a particular nation and in a particular field...
(2001 Orange Bowl), even though his team ultimately lost 13-2 to the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
. In his junior year in 1999 Polley had an outstanding season when he led Florida State with 109 tackles (67 solos) and also had six stops for loss. He earned First-team All-ACC accolades. In his Sophomore Year (1998) he started 12 of 13 games at both outside linebacking posts and had 59 total tackles (37 solo) and had two tackles for loss. 1997 was his redshman Year (and he totaled 21 tackles with 13 solo stops in first year of action and played in all 12 games and had at least one tackle in eight games. In 1996 he Redshirted along with most of his class.
Professional career
Polley was drafted by the St. Louis RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
on the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. He finished his rookie season with 67 tackles (50 solo). Polley went on to have a solid 6-year NFL career, amassing 304 tackles with 224 solo stops, and retired in 2007 after a shoulder injury sidelined him for most of the season. After 4 seasons with the Rams, he finished his career by spending one-year with the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
and his final year with the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
.