NFL Star’s Faith Journey Inspires New Children’s Book ‘The Won’t Quit Kid’
Former Cincinnati Bengals football star David Pollack has written a children's book that blends insights on faith and perseverance – two things about which he knows a little something. The book is called The Won't Quit Kid and the main character's name is Nick. Nick has a dream to play football, and his gifted older brother has really made it look easy. But when Nick begins to follow in his footsteps, he learns that there's a lot of hard work and patience with himself that's required, as well as cultivating a good attitude, according to the Brave Books website.
Obstacles Cultivate Personal Growth
"It's not about performance," Pollack told CBN. "So much nowadays, you see so much clearing obstacles and hard things out of the way for kids. They need that to grow to who God's gonna make them, to build their character, and strengthen them down the road."
The former linebacker has definitely had his share of trials. Concepts from many of the personal trials he has endured in his faith walk over the years, along with Biblical truths, are woven into the book.
Pollack didn't grow up in a Christian home, but God definitely had His hand on Pollack's life. In his senior year of high school, he was invited to a youth "lockout" event that included young people hanging out in the church and playing sports, which opened the door for him to be introduced to Jesus. His high school physics teacher and college coach had a significant influence on his life, which brought him into a personal relationship with Christ.
Pollack's NFL Dream
Pollack began to live out his dream of playing in the NFL when he made the 2005 NFL first-round draft pick with the Cincinnati Bengals. Then, a tragic neck injury in 2006 brought his football career to a swift end.
In a recent "Family Goals" podcast picked up by Movieguide, Pollack spoke of, "…things that we can only learn in those tough spots."
He went on to make an analogy with being in a weight room: "…If I really don't want to push myself and I don't want to do things that are hard, so be it. It's easy. I don't have to pick that up, like, I don't have to put weight on a bar, but when that weight is thrown on the bar, and you've got to pick that thing up, like, there's no choice, you've been forced to do it now. You're going to get stronger."
Two Options in a New Season: Choose Wisely
When faced with the life and career-changing reality of his neck injury, Pollack explained to CBN his mindset for how he handled the devastating change he was forced to make: "There's always the two options, you either run towards God or away from God. But I quickly realized that it's really, really awesome, because I thought I was on this path, and I was going to the NFL, and I was going to Pro Bowls — and this is the way I was gonna go. And then, quickly, it's a detour, and I break my neck, which is not fun."
He chose to focus on the fact that he was blessed with the opportunity to live out his dream, and told his wife that, "I can't imagine what's next, babe, because this has been amazing. …I just know that God's going to provide something else that gets us excited."
Pollack's wife, Lindsey, was recently diagnosed with brain cancer and underwent a 6-hour surgery. She has come through that surgery with some amazing milestones that include light workouts, walking around, and even doing simple household chores.
I do not share much of my personal life on social media but today is gonna be different. If you are the praying type please lift up my wife Lindsey. She has brain cancer and surgery is Wednesday at Duke. So thankful to serve a loving God that meets us in our struggles!
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) March 10, 2025
"She's fighting, for sure," Pollack told Athens Banner-Herald. "She's swinging. That's what we've got to do. Keep swinging."
Photo Credit: ©Instagram/@davidpollack47
Originally published May 06, 2025.
