You might know David Pollack as a college football analyst and a member of the College GameDay team on ESPN. But before he was on TV talking football, he was on the field as a 3-time college All-American and then a first-round draft pick. That was before a career-ending injury caused him to reinvent himself and his body. Here’s what we learned about his approach to health, fitness, overcoming adversity, and making a difference with your health.
LIVESTRONG.COM: Tell me about your background as an athlete?
David Pollack: I was always a fat kid. When I graduated high school I was 275 pounds. When I got to college I was working out and training a lot and I eventually hit 292 pounds. Problem was, I thought I was strong and didn’t realize I was actually fat. Still, in my junior year of college I was projected as a top pick for the NFL. But I stayed in college because I wanted to take nutrition courses and learn to take care of my body, as well as improve on the field.
It started simple. I started carrying a gallon jug of water and stopped eating fast foods and fried foods. In fact, I stopped drinking calories and learned how to read labels. And all of these small changes made a huge difference. I lost weight and became quicker and I improved as an athlete and was a high draft pick. Staying and gaining knowledge was really a key turning point for me.
LS: And then your injury happened.
DP: Yeah, I broke my neck and the injury eventually ended my career. I was placed into a halo when they drill into your skull. And I was in the halo for about 4 months. It gave me a lot of time to sit and think. And as an exercise freak it was a challenging time. I played football since I was 6 years old and that was all I knew. When that was taken away, it was tough. But God never closes one hole without opening another.
I needed the neck brace for 6 months, then surgery, and then more time in a neck brace. Nutrition took a bigger role because I couldn’t’ be in the gym. I didn’t want to be in a halo, but I figured that people are dealing with a lot worse. It could always be worse. The entire experience made me stronger and taught me about myself and the people around me.
It ended up being a new beginning that I used to become better. To improve my strength, improve my body, and try and learn something new every week so I could take better care of yourself.
LS: It would have been easy if you turned your back on fitness after an injury like that. Can you take me through your process of rediscovering yourself?
DP: I don’t understand how people don’t take care of their body. We have only one of these things and we need to make it last. So regardless of the injury, I knew that I had to take care of myself whether I was playing sports or not.
But it was a long process. I could bench press 455 pounds in college. When I was cleared to exercise, I put 135 on the bar and did that 2 times. And the second rep my arms were shaking uncontrollably. All I could think was, “It’s just 135 pounds!” It was one of those moments where you realize just how far you have to go, and that you better be patient.
My recovery was all about small goals and it's really something that will work for anyone. Make a list of what you want to do tomorrow. And this week. Stop focusing on 6-pack and focus on the process and the details that cause change. Change can happen faster than people realize. But people give up. That’s crap. You can push yourself and make it happen. 
LS: How do you approach your health?
DP: I like to experiment and find what works for me. I have tried vegetarian, done the no carb thing, have fasted, and learned from all of the strategies about how my body reacts.
At the end of the day, though, I’m an exercise junkie. And I try to mix it up to keep it fun. I’lld o weights for 45 to 60 minutes and then do distance runs. Maybe I’ll throw in some P90X and play basketball. On Monday nights I play in a flag football league.
And my schedule is a lesson on how to make exercise easier. Most people find cardio miserable. So rather than not do it at all, you just have to find a way to make it fun.
LS: Is that what motivated your #everdaycounts campaign?
DP: Yeah, it was to get people to be consistently active. You don’t need you to run a 6-minute mile to be healthy. So my challenge was simple: Can you run at least 1 mile a day? I don’t care about how long it takes or how fast you go. Just make that commitment. Focus on your body. Develop those small goals. It’s ok to start slow and then get to where you want to go.
LS: You mentioned you experimented with many diets. What’d you learn?
DP: Its’ about having a balance of everything but never too much of anyything. In college I used to eat protein. It was a “meathead” approach: protein, protein, protein. I didn’t feel as good as I did when I ate protein, fruits, veggies, carbs. It’s not hard to eat a fruit and veggie with every meal. It’s about discipline with every meal.
LS: How hard is it to stay fit on the road?
DP: During the football season there’s a 14-week span where I’m only home three days per week. But every day I carve out some time to go run at least one mile. No matter what I’ve done or where I’m at, just do it. And when I don’t feel like it, I’ll smoke a mile really fast. If I’m mentally there, maybe I’ll log some extra mileage. The first step is doing it. The second is listening to your body and knowing when to push.
LS: What do you think is the secret to fitness success?
DP: It’s important to have people who will hold you accountable and finding ways to push yourself. Our nature is to hit the snooze button. But if you have people depending on you, it’s hard to hit snooze and pass on your health.
LS: We have to ask—Who’s the most fitness savvy of the GameDay team?
DP: Chris Fowler. He’s pretty strong. First time I saw him in the gym he impressed me. He went on the bench and he was throwing up some serious weight. He’s surprisingly strong and stays very fit. Herbie hits the cardio, and he’ll double down on cardio so he can eat. He loves his food.
LS: What’s your best piece of advice?
DP: When I was younger I’d say, “It’s just genetics.” And now, I went from 292 to 220, and I can see my abs. Yes, genetics will get you an 8-pack. But you can look dang-gone good if you work hard and stay consistent. The way I look at your fitness: Sure, you’re not getting paid (to take care of yourself), but if you don’t do it you’ll pay for it later.
- Adam Bornstein
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