As a student-athlete playing multiple sports, Andover Football Co-Captain Troy Pollock ’21 decided to attend Andover because of the opportunity for him to develop as both an individual.
Pollock said, “I knew it was going to be a place where I could grow and try new things. I was really excited about lacrosse and football at Andover [because] I just knew that at Andover, you take it seriously. I always saw Andover as a place where kids went if they really cared about their sports and their academics. It was a mixture of, ‘I wanna be the best’ and ‘I wanna go to a school where everyone else cares about the things I care about.’”
According to Head Coach Trey Brown ’12, Pollock’s tenacity on the field sets him apart as both a leader and an athlete.
Brown said, “Troy’s heart is just contagious, you know, to see him go at a guy that’s 50, 60, 70, 80 pounds heavier than him and be fearless is just simply amazing. You don’t find many kids that would run through a wall for their team.”
Pollock encourages the team to perform its best and connects with his team off the field as well, according to teammate Baron Abrishami ’21.
“Troy is a great captain. He always pushes the team and me to the next level. Even though we will not play any games this season, Troy still demands us to bring it everyday to practice. He’s also been my good friend since I’ve been at Andover and I know he always has my back,” said Abrishami.
Brown added that Pollock serves as a role model for his teammates because of both his determination and love for the sport.
“Troy is that person that I believe our students, our players, look at and say, ‘Yeah, that’s Troy. That’s our captain, and we are proud to call him our captain.’ I hope that’s the type of heart they want to have when they go at a player or when they go through a play as best as they could and never ever shy away from a challenge, because Troy would never,” said Brown.
According to Pollock, his favorite part about his football at Andover has been the relationships he has formed and experiences he has shared with his teammates.
“The relationships that I’ve made and the memories that I’ve made during football are really valuable to me. I think that it’s really important that I stay to finish it out because, you know, you ride or die with your boys,” said Pollock.
The transition to virtual team meetings has been difficult, but Pollock has been leading the group through Zoom workouts in hopes of fostering further team bonding.
Pollock said, “We had lots of body-weight workouts on Zoom to get everyone thinking about the season, getting their minds right. Lately there’s been lots of emails sent about the season, and just getting everyone’s heads mentally there, that we are gonna start the season. Coach Brown, myself, Calvin, and Ben have been thinking of ways to bring that energy and finding ways to make games that follow the guidelines.”
Despite interscholastic competition being cancelled this fall, Pollock still looks forward to continue building on the same team camaraderie that he’s experienced in past seasons.
Pollock said, “You know what? Yeah, we are not going to have a football season, but it’s just still going to be exciting to get out there on the field and be with your friends and compete, the basic things that I love about football.”
This season will be his last as a part of Andover Football, but Pollock looks forward to continuing his athletic career playing lacrosse at Hamilton College next year.
