David Pollack: A Church Invitation Led Me to Christ – ‘First Time I Ever Heard About Jesus’
A College Football Hall of Famer known for his ESPN insights and trademark optimism says his faith journey began simply – with a friend’s invitation to a church youth event.
David Pollack was an All-American at the University of Georgia before being selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, only to see his pro career cut short by a frightening neck injury in 2006 that left him carted off the field. He later spent more than a decade as an analyst on ESPN’s College GameDay before being part of company layoffs.
He opens up about his career and his faith in a new book, Every Day Counts, that traces his journey through adversity and perseverance.
Pollack believes his story is a reminder that leading someone to faith can be as simple as an invitation to church.
“I came to faith as a senior in high school a very unconventional way – never stepped foot in a church one day in my life,” Pollack told Crosswalk Headlines.
“My neighbor across the street was like, ‘Hey, bro, we're having a lock-in – you want to come?’ I was like, ‘What does that mean?’ He goes, ‘We're going to go to the church and they lock you in for the night.’ And I'm like, ‘No.’ But he said, ‘You get to stay up all night and they feed you and you get to play games.’ I'm like, ‘In!’” Pollack said, smiling.
“It's the first time I ever heard about Jesus. It's the first time that seed had ever been planted in my life. And then that led to me starting to consume my Bible.”
Pollack’s faith also was impacted through the mentorship of a high school teacher, Mark Watson, who he remembers as being “full of grace, full of mercy, full of positivity.”
“I was like, ‘Something's different about this dude.’ And he played praise and worship music before classes – at a public school – and he had a Jesus fish. I called him a Jesus freak,” Pollack said.
In high school, Pollack even chose the Bible as his book for a senior project – an idea his English teacher initially rejected, until Pollack recruited Watson to assist. The teacher eventually agreed.
“And he took me through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,” Pollack said.
Pollack said his testimony underscores the power of a simple invitation.
“Anyone can invite anyone to church,” he said. “Anyone can invite anyone to Bible study. Everyone has that capacity. You can let the preacher do the work.”
His teacher, too, made an impact – not just through words, but by living a life worth emulating.
“The way we live our life is the biggest witness we will ever have for anyone else around us, because everybody's watching,” he said. “And when it's different, and when it's Spirit-led, and when it's joy-led, and when it's forgiveness and grace – people are like, wait a minute, that's different.”
Pollack’s neck injury at age 22 became another turning point in his faith. It occurred in only his second NFL season.
“Before that injury, for me, it was a very transactional relationship with God,” Pollack said. “I got up in the morning, I prayed to Him. I had a meal, I'd pray to Him. If I got some more time in my day, I might holler at Him. And then when your world goes dark and silent and still and everything around you starts to slow down – it was amazing how much, when I got still and started to build some rhythms and some cadence in my life and talk to my Father, how much He started to talk to me, and how much He started to show me.
“That broken neck was a privilege and an honor, because it made me a better dad. It made me a better husband,” Pollack said. “It made me a better son. At the age of 22 years old, I got more life perspective than all of my 21 years before on this earth.”
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published April 28, 2026.
