Being a high school football hero was heady stuff for young Pollard, but his life was not all touchdowns and glory. As one of the few black players in the Chicago interscholastic league, he received more than his share of verbal and physical abuse. Most opposing teams singled him out as a target for rough play, piling on, and outright illegal acts aimed at injuring him. Although his teammates did their best to protect him, they did not always succeed. After a 1911 road game against Rockford High School, the Tech Prep noted that "they were laying for Pollard up there, but they missed him." To combat the dangerous situation, Pollard used a unique tactic that during the course of his career became one of his trademarks and discouraged would-be ruffians intent upon maiming him. When tackled, he would roll over on his back, cock his legs, and flail them bicycle-style to prevent piling on. Despite this technique and the training his brothers had given him, Pollard sustained several injuries during his senior year, at least one the result of dirty play.
