Tony PollardNorth Team

SUMMARY: 
One of college football’s most electrifying performers … One of the nation’s top kick returners … Also sees action at RB and WR … Has seen action in 26 games, making 17 starts … Has 60 kick returns for 1,949 yards and six TD … His six kick-return TD are a school record … His 60 kick returns and 1,949 yards both are second-most in program history … Three of his six kick returns for TD were 100 yards … His 32.5 kick-return average is tops in program history … A run/receive threat, has 389 rushing yards on 61 carries and 834 receiving yards on 65 receptions … Has 3,183 all-purpose yards, the third-most in school history. 2015-16 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team ... Dean’s List for 2017 fall semester ... Tiger 3.0 Club for 2017 fall semester ... 2017 All-America first team by Walter Camp, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and Phil Steele … 2017 All-America second team by Sports Illustrated … Two-time American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year (2016, 2017) … Two-time All-American Athletic Conference first team (2016, 2017) … 2017 Paul Hornung Award Watch List … American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 4, 2017) … 2016 Freshman All-America pick by USA Today and FWAA.
 
SOPHOMORE (2017): 
Led the nation in kick-return average at 40.0 yards per return … Tied for FBS lead with four kick returns for TD … Played in all 13 games … Had 22 kick returns for 881 yards, 30 rushes for 230 yards, 36 receptions for 536 yards and one punt return for two yards … Logged a team-high 1,649 all-purpose yards … His 1,649 all-purpose yards were the fourth-most for a season in school history … His 881 kick-return yards were the third-most for a season in program history … His 40.0 kick-return average is a school season record … Ranked among the conference statistical leaders in kick-return yards (1st), kick-return average (1st), kick-return TD (1st) and all-purpose yards (2nd) and all-purpose yards average (5th) … Finished 35th in FBS in all-purpose yards average (126.8) … Scored 10 TD (2 rush/4 receive/4 kick return) … Team’s second-leading receiver with 536 yards on 36 catches … Squad’s third-leading rusher with 230 yards … Opened the 2017 season with a bang, scampering 99 yards with the second-half kickoff for a TD vs. Louisiana Monroe … Ran back the second 100-yard kick-return TD of his career in a home win vs. Southern Illinois … Logged three returns for 148 yards (49.3 average) vs. the Salukis … His 49.3 kick-return average is a single-game school record … Had one of the most amazing performances in program history in the comeback victory at Houston … Posted a career-high 206 all-purpose yards (91 receive/115 kick return) vs. the Cougars … With Memphis trailing 24-7 late in the third quarter, ignited the Tigers with a 93-yard kick return for a TD to cut the lead to 24-14 … Had four clutch receptions for 64 yards that led to three TD in the second half … Closed the regular season with his third career 100-yard kick-return TD vs. ECU … Logged 198 all-purpose yards (72 rush/71 receive/55 kick return) vs. UCF in The American Championship Game … Scored two TD (1 rush/1 receive) vs. the Knights for his first multi-TD game of his career … Had 120 all-purpose yards (8 rush/35 receive/75 kick return/2 punt return) vs. Iowa State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2016): 
Played in all 13 games and made seven starts … Made an immediate impact in his first collegiate season … One of college football’s top kick returners in 2016 … Ranked among FBS leaders in kick return total yards (2nd; 1,068), kick return average (8th; 28.1 ypr), kick return TD (2nd; 2) and total kick returns (6th; 38) … Led the American Athletic Conference in total kick returns, kick return yardage, kick return average and kick return TD … Only player in the conference to return a kick for a TD … Set school season record for most kick returns for TD (2) … The two kick returns for TD also are a program all-time record … Also on school’s season kick return charts for number of returns (3rd), total yardage (2nd) and kick return average (5th) … Had six games with over 100 kick return yards … Set two single-game records for kick returns vs. No. 24/25 Navy … Recorded the longest kick return in program history with a 100-yard effort for a TD vs. the Midshipmen … His 100-yard TD return gave Memphis a 14-7 midway through the first quarter … Had three returns for a school-record 44.7 average vs. Navy … First collegiate kick return for a TD came vs. Temple, a 95-yard scamper midway in the fourth quarter … The score extended a 27-20 lead to 34-20 with 6:35 left (Memphis won 34-27) … The 95-yard kick return is tied for the sixth-longest in school history … Nearly broke the single-game kick return yardage mark with a 174-yard effort (7 returns) vs. USF … The 174 yards are the second-most for a single game in program history, falling three yards shy of the school-record 177 yards … Member of the Tigers special teams that were fifth nationally on kick returns (26.57 ypr) and had three kick returns for TD … The three kick return TD set a program season record … Also a threat to run and catch the ball … Rushed for 159 yards on 31 carries and one TD … Team’s third-leading receiver with 29 catches for 298 yards and two scores … Also had one punt return for nine yards … Hauled in first collegiate receiving TD vs. Bowling Green … Had a season-high four receptions twice vs. Bowling Green and Western Kentucky … His 81 receiving yards vs. Western Kentucky were a season best … Best season rushing performance was 40 yards vs. Kansas (7 carries) … Logged a season-high nine carries (37 yards) vs. Cincinnati … Second on the team with 1,534 all-purpose yards (159 rush/298 receive/9 punt return/1,068 kick return) … His 1,534 all-purpose yards are the fifth-most for a season in program history. 

REDSHIRT (2015):  
Redshirted. 

HIGH SCHOOL: 
Played for head coach Eddie Woods at Melrose High School ... Two-way 2014 All-District 16-AAA selection at both wide receiver and defensive back as a senior … Had over 1,200 receiving yards and scored 20 TD in 2014 … Named to The Commercial Appeal 2014 Class 4A-5A Best of the Preps Team … Selected to play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl All-Star Game … Helped the Golden Wildcats to an 8-3 record and a Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Class 5A state playoffs appearance in 2014 ... Also a member of the 2013 Melrose High School squad that went 8-4 and earned a TSSAA Class 5A state playoffs berth. 

PERSONAL: 
Son of Torria and Tarrance Pollard … Has two siblings, Tneshia and Terrion … Born April 30 … Sport and leisure management major.