Tag: Tony Pollard

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

A Tale of Two Barbecue Joints

Pollard’s Bar-B-Que owner Tarrance Pollard first started his own restaurant in 1996. (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Tony Pollard preferred throwing the pigskin to selling the pig skin.

Pollard, a running back with the Tennessee Titans, is the son of Tarrance Pollard, owner of Pollard’s Bar-B-Que at 4560 Elvis Presley Boulevard. He worked at Pollard’s one summer, but he preferred playing football to working in a restaurant, says his aunt, Denise Plunkett, who was working behind the counter the afternoon I visited. It was my first visit to Pollard’s, although I’ve driven by it many times.

Tony was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2019 National Football League draft. Recalling a statement he made when he was in the third grade, Plunkett says, “He told his mom he was going to be in the NFL one day.”

A poster featuring a picture of Tony clutching a football and the words “Home of Tony Pollard” hangs on the wall near another poster that reads, “Featured on Food Network.” The restaurant was featured on Restaurant: Impossible, Plunkett says.

Tarrance tells me he worked at other barbecue restaurants, including Gridley’s Bar-B-Q and A&R Bar-B-Que, before opening his own place in 1996.

When I ask Plunkett what sets their barbecue apart from other places, she says, “It’s absolutely amazing. It’s tasty. It’s tender. You have to be careful not to bite your finger off.”

She’s noticed children who usually don’t like barbecue “really eat this.”

They give her “two thumbs-up.”

I sit at the counter, which has a countertop covered with sheet music that has been enclosed. Songs include “Walking in Memphis” and “Love Me Tender.” The latter could apply to my jumbo Pollard’s barbecue sandwich.

Like the kids, I’ll also give the two-thumbs-up recommendation for this delicious sandwich. I could have bitten off my finger or one of my thumbs.

I also ask Terrance what sets his barbecue apart. “Love and time,” he says.

Next, I travel to a barbecue restaurant I’ve also passed many times, but never stopped to go inside.

Jimbo’s Brickhouse BBQ in Byhalia, Mississippi, features pitmasters Brandy McNeese, Jimbo Dalton, and Toni Whitt.

That changes when I walk in the door to order a jumbo barbecue sandwich at Jimbo’s Brickhouse BBQ at 8600 MS-178 in Byhalia, Mississippi.

First of all, a Jimbo’s jumbo is just gigantic.

“Knock a dent in it and tell me what you think,” says owner Jimbo Dalton.

It is fabulous. As are the wet ribs Dalton brings to the table for me to try. They are delectable. Some of the best ribs I’ve ever eaten. So tender. They also serve dry ribs.

“We just cook slow with wood the country way.”

Dalton says he’s self-taught when it comes to barbecuing. “Burning up meat till I got it right.”

This all began when he barbecued at his house when he was a teenager.

People (about 200) then began gathering at his house on weekends for his barbecue. It turned into a party. “We’d float a keg. Listen to music.”

And, he says, “I know a lot of people and a lot of people know me.”

People began ordering barbecue. They’d come to the house to pick it up.

Dalton then got a food trailer, which he operated for six years.

He and his late wife, Lisa, began their brick-and-mortar restaurant, which was the brick-and-mortar office for the old brick factory that was in Byhalia.

Dalton is constantly adding to the building. He’s built patios and just about four weeks ago built the bar on the front patio. “All built with hard work, sweat, and blood.”

He serves barbecue pork, chicken, brisket, ribs, as well as other food items, including hamburgers and salads. Dalton introduces me to his fellow pitmasters Brandy McNeese and Toni Whitt. The gigantic cooker is in a separate area.

The walls in a small room up front are covered with signatures of Brickhouse visitors from all over.

Dalton features live music and karaoke at Jimbo’s Brickhouse, which is open Wednesday through Sunday.

And, hopefully, those karaoke singers will occasionally belt out the Commodores song, “Brick House.”

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From My Seat Sports

Run to Glory?

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

American football is a strangely named sport. The ball is rarely kicked and such plays only make highlight shows when they prove decisive in a game. If you paid any attention at all to the doomed Alliance of American Football, you’ll know there are efforts to remove the kickoff from the game entirely. In a sport where cranial injuries are part of the story, helmeted heads colliding on kickoffs are especially vulnerable.
Larry Kuzniewski

Darrell Henderson

Then you have the running back. You know, the guy who makes a living by carrying the football, his feet taking him through gaps (however larger or small), toward the end zone, six points, and a glory dance. There was a time, not that long ago, when running backs shaped the way teams were built. Between 1977 and 1986, teams chose a running back with the first pick in the NFL draft five times. Alas, not one of those five players took the team that drafted him to the Super Bowl and only one (Earl Campbell) now has a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Last fall, the University of Memphis suited up an All-America running back, and the fastest player I’ve seen in a Tiger uniform. But Darrell Henderson had to wait until the third round when the NFC champion Los Angeles Rams selected him with the 70th pick in the draft. Ironically, Henderson will apprentice under one of the NFL’s few star running backs, two-time All-Pro Todd Gurley.

Another speed-demon who took some reps at running back for Memphis, Tony Pollard, waited even longer. The Dallas Cowboys selected the incomparable kick returner late in the fourth round on Saturday, with the 128th pick. Like Henderson, Pollard will join a team with a certifiable star at tailback, two-time rushing champ Zeke Elliott. The Cowboys also have one of the best offensive lines in football, with three All-Pros opening gaps for ball-carriers. Both Henderson and Pollard would seem to be in comfortable situations to begin their pro careers.

What are we to make of standout college ball-carriers getting the playground-nerd treatment on draft day? It’s an aerial game. Nine NFL players rushed for 1,000 yards in the 2018 season while 21 receivers caught passes for at least 1,000. If teams aren’t drafting the next Manning or Brady, they’re looking for men to stop the league’s star passers. Ten of the first 20 picks in this year’s draft were defensive linemen, with a premium on a new descriptor: edge rusher. (As in, player responsible solely for taking down the quarterback.) Three linemen from the same unit (national champion Clemson) were among the first 17 picks. These are the men Darrell Henderson and Tony Pollard will be dodging on Sundays for years to come.

• Can fans become the star attraction on game day? This seems to be reality for Memphis 901 FC, our new franchise in the USL Championship. The Bluff City Mafia has been loud and, somehow, proud, despite the local side providing little to chant about over its first four home games: three losses, a draw, and a grand total of one goal (thank you, Elliot Collier). Passion counts, though, and tends to be rewarded in the long run. So keep singing, ye BCM. Sunnier days ahead.

• On April 19th in St. Louis — two days after being promoted from the Memphis Redbirds — outfielder Lane Thomas became the 10th Cardinal to hit a home run in his first major-league at-bat. No other club in baseball has seen as many players make the ultimate intro. Remarkably, seven of those ten players went yard immediately after a promotion from Memphis, all over the last two decades. (The Cardinals have been playing in the National League since 1892.) In case you’ve forgotten the names of the other six (and three of them are pitchers): Keith McDonald (2000), Chris Richard (2000), Gene Stechschulte (2001), Adam Wainwright (2006), Mark Worrell (2008), and Paul DeJong (2017).

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Sports Tiger Blue

Three Thoughts on Tiger Football

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

• I’m not big on statistics at this stage of a season. With the likes of Mercer and Georgia State, certain numbers are bound to be inflated as conference play nears. But there are two early-season numbers I like a lot. The Tigers are third in the AAC with seven sacks and tied for third in fewest sacks allowed, with only two. Controlling the line of scrimmage has been integral to winning football games since Rutgers and Princeton first suited up (four years after the end of the American Civil War). And the Tigers’ offensive and defensive lines can get this team back into the Top 25. We expected the veteran O-line to excel and it has, Memphis averaging a cool 603 yards through three games. Those responsible, from left to right: Trevon Tate, Dylan Parham (the kid in the group, a redshirt freshman), Drew Kyser, Dustin Woodard, and Roger Joseph.

Pressure on opposing quarterbacks, though, was in question, what with the loss to the NFL of linebacker Genard Avery (8.5 sacks a year ago). Not to worry, at least not though three games. Five different Tigers have reached the quarterback, led by linebacker Bryce Huff with three take-downs. Jackson Dillon, Tim Hart, and Curtis Akins haven’t joined the sack party yet, so expect the Tiger pass rush to sharpen its claws even more.

Larry Kuzniewski

This man wants the football.

• In baseball terms, teams are intentionally walking Tony Pollard, and it stinks. The junior from Melrose remains one shy of the national record for career kickoff-return touchdowns, with six. He hasn’t been helped by the Tiger defense, which hasn’t allowed many touchdowns or field goals. (We must be careful what we wish for in tracking this record chase.) But when teams do kick off, it’s nowhere near the man in uniform number 1. Tiger coach Mike Norvell sees the “problem,” but has chosen to embrace it. At his Monday press conference, Norvell said, “We didn’t have any big returns because of what [Pollard has] done. They squibbed every kick, so our average starting field position was the 35-yard line, which is extraordinary.” Stronger teams will challenge Pollard, you’d think. Kickoff-coverage teams play with pride, too. Here’s hoping we soon see Pollard in full flight.

• It was great seeing Anthony Miller grab his first NFL touchdown pass on Monday Night Football. All the better that it happened in a Bears victory (over Seattle) in Chicago, a city that should grow to love Miller as much as Memphis has for years now. Remember, this time a year ago, Miller was still an emerging name in football circles beyond the Mid-South. With DeAngelo Williams enjoying retirement (at times in a wrestling ring) and Paxton Lynch recently cut by the Denver Broncos, Miller is the current NFL flag-bearer among Memphis skill-position alumni. It’ll be fun to watch him grow and develop synergy with a young quarterback (Mitchell Trubisky), even better if the Bears emerge as playoff contenders in the NFC North.

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Cover Feature News

Many Happy Returns! Memphis Tiger Football Preview 2018

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Here come the expectations. After decades as a college football afterthought, the University of Memphis Tigers open their 2018 season as front-runners. The program may have lost an All-American receiver (Anthony Miller is now the property of the Chicago Bears) and a 4,000-yard passer (quarterback Riley Ferguson), but these are not your older brother’s Memphis Tigers. Having finished in the nation’s Top 25 twice since the 2014 season, the U of M aims for a second straight West Division title in the American Athletic Conference . . . and that’s for starters. A conference title and berth in a New Year’s Six bowl game are on the table for discussion.

Third-year coach Mike Norvell wouldn’t have it any other way.

“There are going to be a lot of eyes watching everything we do,” says Norvell, winner of 18 games since his arrival before the 2016 season. “The responsibility is that much greater. It’s a compliment to our program, and a compliment to our personnel. And it’s a great example for future Tigers. People recognize the progression that’s occurred here. But we haven’t done anything yet. We have to put in the work that’s necessary. You have to remember some games where we came up short, and the little details that will allow us to continue the push to be the best version of ourselves.”

Larry Kuzniewski

Tony Pollard

There are two glaring absences from the Tigers’ offensive depth chart as the season gets underway. Gone are Anthony Miller (only the fourth Tiger to earn first-team All-America recognition from the Associated Press) and Ferguson (the first Tiger to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a single season). Don’t expect any two individuals to approximate Miller’s and Ferguson’s production of a year ago. Instead, look for a distribution of responsibility among a few returning players, some of them with their own All-America aspirations. Starting with Tony Pollard.

The Memphis program recently went 19 seasons (1997-2015) without returning a single kickoff for a touchdown. Pollard — the pride of Melrose High School — returned two as a redshirt-freshman in 2016 (the first Tiger ever to score on a pair of kickoffs in a single season), then returned four last season, putting him on the cusp of breaking the national career record (seven, held by three players) and with two seasons yet to play. Pollard averaged an astounding 40.0 yards on his 22 kickoff returns and accumulated 1,647 all-purpose yards (rushing, receiving, and kick returns) on his way to a second AAC Special Teams Player of the Year award.

“Tony has made a dynamic impact on our return game,” says Norvell. “His role in the offense expanded last year, and it’s been great to see his fundamental development. He’s such a versatile player. And he’s become a master at technique.”

Pollard preparing to return a kickoff will be a considerable silver lining after a Tiger opponent scores this fall. And having already returned three kickoffs 100 yards, Pollard considers every kickoff a few quick strides from six points.

“Once I see I’m going to catch [a kickoff], I automatically think it’s going to the house,” says Pollard. “That’s how our kickoff unit thinks. It’s having faith in everyone up front, that they’ll hold their blocks long enough for you to get through. And they have trust in me to hit the hole [they create], and not just bounce outside every time. There’s a lot to it — a lot of coaching — behind the scenes.”

Erik Williams

Sophomore T.J. Carter

Pollard would like to surpass 2,000 all-purpose yards this fall and sees no reason the new fair-catch rule for kickoffs will slow him down. “There may be more pooch kicks this year,” says Pollard, “but our coach is a genius, so he’ll find some way around it.”

“It’s hard to take momentum away from another team,” says senior center Drew Kyser. “And that’s what Tony does; he changes the game.”

Perhaps the only teammate who might challenge Pollard in a footrace is junior tailback Darrell Henderson. The native of Batesville, Mississippi, averaged a staggering 8.9 yards per carry last season on his way to 1,154 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns (two through the air). He’s a preseason all-conference selection and will play a critical role in support of a rookie quarterback. Junior Patrick Taylor (866 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns in 2017) will get his share of carries as well.

About that rookie quarterback. The Tigers opened preseason camp with an open competition between graduate-transfer Brady White and sophomore David Moore (Ferguson’s backup a year ago). But on August 21st, Moore announced he intends to transfer, essentially handing the gig to White.

Originally recruited by Norvell to play at Arizona State (where Norvell was then an assistant coach), White hasn’t thrown a pass since suffering a foot injury three games into his 2016 season with the Sun Devils. He’s a pro-style passer, once ranked 54th in the country as a high school senior by Rivals.com. With Moore removed from the depth chart, freshmen Brady McBride and Connor Adair will vie for backup duties.

Larry Kuzniewski

Henderson

In Miller’s absence, White’s primary targets will be sophomore Damonte Coxie (21 catches and a 15.4-yard average last season) and a pair of tight ends with all-conference hopes: juniors Joey Magnifico and Sean Dykes. The two combined for 36 catches and six touchdowns last season.

The Tiger offense will have the luxury of a veteran line, one that features three of the team’s eight seniors: Kyser (38 career starts), Trevon Tate (34 starts), and Roger Joseph. While only a junior, Dustin Woodard has 24 starts under his belt and will help in blasting holes for Tiger ball-carriers. “You have to have five guys who play as one unit,” stresses Norvell. “I like the leadership we have; it can be a strength. If they play to the level they’re capable of, it will make everyone around them better.”

The Tigers allowed 21 sacks in 2017, a low number — good for 37th in the country — but a figure that could be lowered this fall with a larger emphasis on the running game. (Memphis threw the ball 488 times last season and ran the ball on 453 plays.)

Kyser cuts to the chase when asked about his team’s status as favorites. He’s enjoyed 27 wins in three years and sees no reason the program’s run might be slowed. “Our goal is to be undefeated at the end of the year and national champions,” he says. “[Our opponents] know we’re coming. We’re gonna keep fighting till the end.” Kyser intends to be a more vocal leader, every offensive play starting with the ball in his hands. “I wanted to be a quarterback, but God blessed me with 300 pounds. I take pride in being the quarterback of the offensive line. The coaches trust me to make calls at the line of scrimmage.”

The Tigers averaged 45.5 points per game last year, second in the country only to AAC champ UCF. (Memphis hosts the Knights on October 13th.) But the Tiger defense allowed 32.5 points per game, 102nd among 130 FBS teams. Presuming a drop, at least slightly, from last year’s offensive production, the Tigers will need to shave a few points off their average allowed to harbor thoughts of another 10-win season.

Larry Kuzniewski

Coach Mike Norvell

“Last year was tough [on our defense],” says Norvell. “We had six starters who went down. We had to force some young guys into action, maybe before they were truly ready. We knew we had a top-notch offense, and we needed to get them the ball.” The 2017 Tigers finished third in the country in turnover margin, gaining 31 (via interception or fumble recovery) while losing only 16.

The 2018 defense could be led from the secondary, as sophomore cornerback T.J. Carter played a pivotal role a year ago with five interceptions on his way to Freshman All-America recognition and the AAC’s Rookie of the Year award. “I’m ready to become a leader,” says Carter. “I’ve seen what it takes to get to the [AAC] championship game, and it’s not easy. I wasn’t as vocal last year, but I’m learning the whole defense. With a year of experience, even in the spring, I’m more comfortable with the play calls. You don’t have to think as much, especially on the back end.” Carter touts the growth of a classmate, La’Andre Thomas, and says Thomas could be a new force in the Tiger secondary, likely from the safety position.

Senior linebacker Curtis Akins led the 2017 Tigers with 88 tackles (60 of them solo) and rejects the idea that Genard Avery’s departure (he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns) will leave a void. “If they don’t score, they can’t win,” says Akins, a mantra he intends to impart to his teammates all season. “Since I got here, the offense has carried us. This is my last year; I want the defense to lead the pack. I made the checks and calls last year, so I’m comfortable in the role.”

Akins credits strength coach Josh Storms with helping him add 20 pounds over the off-season and claims he’s actually faster than before he added the muscle. With sophomore Tim Hart and junior Austin Hall back, and with the emergence of sophomore J.J. Russell, look for the Memphis linebackers to decide a game or two.

Norvell signed a five-year contract extension last December that will pay him $13 million through the 2022 season. (Resolution: Let’s wait until at least bowl season to start the hand-wringing over whether a Power Five program will convince Norvell to shred that contract.) Still a few weeks shy of his 37th birthday, the coach is genuinely excited about prospects for the season, and embraces the unknown.

“There are question marks,” he acknowledges. “Who’s going to be the go-to when times are tough? Who will step up and perform at an elite level? I love competition. There are guys who started for our football team last year who are going to have a tough time keeping their position moving forward. Because we’ve recruited at a high level. And players have worked relentlessly to put themselves in a good position.

“We’re a bigger football team,” emphasizes Norvell. “We’re a faster football team. The weight-room numbers, the strength and development have been incredible. Our staff has come together: new faces, new ideas, new energy. Everybody associated with our program is fired up. We know there’s a lot of work in front of us. Challenges will arise. But I know this team is ready.”

“As a program,” adds Pollard, “we have to stay focused on our task, not look too far down the line.” Preseason rankings — and preseason All-Americans — are long forgotten come December.

After four straight winning seasons and a pair of Top 25 finishes, can Memphis be classified as a football school? A football town? Mike Norvell’s a believer: “When you walk down the street and you see people wearing that Memphis logo, yelling ‘Go Tigers!’ . . . We know the importance. It puts us on a national scale. We represent the entire community in how we play. When people ask me to describe Memphis, I say it’s culture and community. Starting in the spring, we have a festival every weekend. What’s exciting for me is that we now get to have seven festivals [at the Liberty Bowl] in the fall. I take pride in that.”

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Sports Tiger Blue

Three Thoughts on Tiger Football

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

• Since the Tigers’ remarkable win at Houston on October 19th (their sixth victory of the season), not a single person has spoken the words “bowl eligibility” to me. Remember when simply becoming eligible for one of more than 30 bowl games was a big deal for the Memphis program? When you go three decades without playing a postseason game (as Memphis did from 1972 to 2002), qualifying for an extra game in December is indeed a big deal.

Those days are gone. The Tigers will play in a bowl game for a fourth straight season, an unprecedented stretch for the program. We’ve reached the point where the strength of a bowl game matters to Memphis, and the 2017 Tigers have the chance to play on or near New Year’s Day, one sacred “Group of Five” slot open in the still-new format that sends 12 teams to “New Year’s Six” bowl games (including four to the national semifinals). The very idea of Memphis being discussed for such elite placement — here in late October — is a cultural shift that would have been impossible to envision as recently as 2011. Better yet, the Tigers control their positioning (at least until selection of the “Group of Five” representative). Win their remaining four games and Memphis plays for the American Athletic Conference championship. Win the AAC title and “bowl eligibility” will seem as distant a notion as the T formation.
Larry Kuzniewski

Tony Pollard

• If you can turn away from the heroics of Anthony Miller, Riley Ferguson, and Tony Pollard (five kickoff-return touchdowns in two seasons) just briefly, the play of Austin Hall and T.J. Carter on the Tiger defense has transformed this team. During one of the first visits I had with Memphis coach Mike Norvell, he emphasized that playmakers must be found on the defensive side of the ball. A potent offense is invaluable, but defensive playmakers can turn a tight game. That’s precisely what we saw on October 14th, when two Hall interceptions were integral in a three-point win over Navy. Then five days later, Carter grabbed his fourth interception of the season, forced a fumble, and accumulated 14 tackles in a four-point win at Houston. To no one’s surprise, Hall and Carter were each named the AAC’s Defensive Player of the Week. The Tiger defense has room to improve, starting with its pass rush. But with Hall (a sophomore) and Carter (a freshman) in the secondary, holes are going to be filled and mistakes (by opposing offenses) punished. Lots to like in this playmaking pair.

• Through four games of its seven-game home schedule, the Tigers have averaged 34,579 fans at the Liberty Bowl. This is a deceiving average, as only 10,263 tickets were sold for the season-opener against Louisiana-Monroe, a game played in near-hurricane conditions. Memphis has drawn more than 40,000 for its last three games (UCLA, Southern Illinois, and Navy). It will be interesting to see the turnout for the three remaining home games: Tulane (Friday), SMU (November 18th), and East Carolina (November 25th). These aren’t the kind of opponents that typically drive ticket sales, but the circumstances (as noted above) are unique this year. Every game the Tigers win makes the next one more significant. Memphis will surely average more than 30,000 fans a fourth straight year, a streak last seen from 2003 to 2006 (three of those “DeAngelo Years”). The question, really, is can the average climb to 40,000? It’s happened only four times in Liberty Bowl history: 1976, 2003, 2004, and 2015.