Despite a competitive hatred for Tom Brady, Bernard Pollard—the man who once destroyed Brady’s knee—spoke out in defense of the embattled New England Patriots quarterback.
As most are likely aware, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently upheld the four-game ban levied against Brady for his alleged involvement in the Deflategate scandal. Many NFL players, both former and current, have come to the defense of their peer.
Now we can count Pollard among them.
“I do not like Tom Brady as a competitor, somebody that’s playing against him because he is a competitive player. I respect the piss out of him because the guy knows how to win. The guy, you can say whatever you want about him, but he is a true champion,” Pollard said on SiriusXM NFL Radio.”
After expounding on his respect for the legendary quarterback, Pollard said what many have thought regarding the four-game suspension:
“Do I feel that he should be suspended four games? I’m going to tell you, no…and I know he’s going to fight tooth and nail like he does on the field to get back on the field with his team.”
Pollard, who is currently looking for work, isn’t wrong. Brady and the NFLPA have already made their intentions known, that they will indeed fight “tooth and nail” to get the suspension thrown out in court.
Tom Brady has authorized the NFLPA to appeal his case in federal court, per source.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) July 28, 2015
The case may get fast-tracked, too. The Boston Globe reports both sides as wanting to get a quick resolution, and U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman has already scheduled two conferences between Brady and Goodell to see if they can get the issue resolved, per ESPN.
Nobody wants to see a protracted court case, and a settlement would be beneficial to all parties involved.
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