What Does Tony Pollard Wear Around His Neck? Tony Pollard wears a Q-Collar around his neck to protect his brain during tackles.
Tony is an NFL player for the Dallas Cowboys as its Running Back. Dallas drafted him in 2019 as a 4th rounder. Since then, he has been active on the roster.
The 25-year-old player’s peak NFL career highlights came from winning the Pro Bowl in 2022.
The Running Back has more than 2000 rushing yards, got 121 receptions, and made 17 rushing touchdowns in NFL as of 2023.
Tony played for the University of Memphis during his college years from 2015-2018. In his NCAAF career, he became the All-AAC twice in 2016 and 2017.
Tony Pollard Frilly Neck Thing
Tony Pollard uses a collar that protects his brain during clashes. The frilly neck thing is called a Q-collar.
The collar is not something new that Tony only uses. Players like Drue Tranquil, Luke Kuechly, and JD McKissie use this neckpiece. This collar is designed to protect the players from getting concussions during the game.
Tony’s agent had bought the idea of wearing the collar to him. After listening, Pollard agreed to wear it because he saw its benefits in his career and his after-retirement life.
Pollard’s Dallas teammates have also inquired about it, and he has always replied with how it helps to prevent brain injury.
Moreover, the Q-collar has motivated him to perform even better and makes him feel like he has an advantage on the football field. It has given him the mentality of having an extra layer of defense that can make him safer in the event of harsh tackles.
Use Of Q Collar
The Q collar is a medical device worn around the neck during sports activities.
It is recommended for athletes over age 13 who are involved in contact sports. Its purpose is to reduce the concession rate gained through repetitive blows to the head.
The Collar is manufactured by a firm called Q30 innovations. The product costs 199 dollars per piece, according to their official website.
Moreover, the Q-collar is an FDA-approved product, meaning it is a legally marketable device that assists the intended target audience, including NFL players.
How does the Collar help to prevent Concussion?
Tom Hoey, Q30’s CEO, has stated that the collar “applies light pressure to the jugular veins and aids to stabilize the brain.”
Tom added that the pressure would slightly increase the blood volume inside the skull, which will aid in lessening the brain’s movement upon impact. Ultimately, it reduces brain injury caused by repetitive sub-concussive impacts.
The light pressure will help to slow down the blood flow from the brain to the heart. Due to this phenomenon, more blood will be present inside the skull.
Now, there will be a pillow situation in the brain as enough blood will be there to stay, decreasing the likelihood of brain slosh.
Why Are NFL Players Using The Collar?
NFL players are using the Q-collar to decrease their brain injury probability.
American football is a dangerous sport, and not for an average person. The players train their bodies and mind daily to perform superhuman running feats and clash with the opposition team.
Per WebMD, in 2017, Boston University researchers studied and found that the brains of 110 of 111 NFL players suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain trauma illness.
CTE is caused when a person receives blows to his head repeatedly and gets multiple concussions. The NFL players make a career clashing with each other and, thus, are prime targets of such trauma.
According to NFL, the sport saw 172 concussions in 2020 and 187 in 2021 when combining official games and practice sessions.
Hence, to prevent concussions, many players have started using this collar to protect them. This neckpiece is especially useful for the ones whose job is to clash with the other team, like the linesmen, Linebackers, and Running backs.
Is Tony Pollard Related To Fritz Pollard?
Tony Pollard and Friz Pollard are not related to each other. Tony and Fritz are NFL players from the United States.
Fritz was an NFL player turned coach in the 1920s. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1894. But Tony was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 1997.
Tony went to Memphis University for his college, while Fritz went to Brown University. Both played college football.
Tony and Friz share the similarity of playing in the running back position. Fritz has receded 16 rushing touchdowns over his entire career, while Tony has already got 17 in just four years.
Fritz played for various teams over his career, like the Milwaukee Badgers and Akron Pros, which are not present today. He became the NFL champion in 1920. After his playing career, he continued as a coach in the league. He also has been inducted into the Pro Football and College Football Hall of Fame.