David Pollack

David Pollack spent more than a decade carving a stellar reputation as a no-nonsense, entertaining presence with ESPN's college football coverage.

And then he received a call this past offseason that he couldn't believe:

He was laid off with a large group of other prominent personalities as Disney and The Worldwide Leader continue to grapple with the effects of cord-cutting and over-leveraging with TV contracts that were signed during more prosperous times.

Pollack joins The Clemson Dubcast to reflect on how he quickly pivoted to appreciating the good that came from his termination -- it allowed him to spend more time at his home in the Athens area with his wife and children ages 15 and 13. It allowed him to sit around on Saturdays and watch college football as a fan.

Pollack is an assistant coach at North Oconee High School and a mentor to Clemson freshman Khalil Barnes. The two talk almost every day, and their connection is rooted more in their Christianity than what takes place on the football field.

Pollack said there's no mystery at all as to why Barnes ended up at Clemson.

"He wanted to go to a place that was going to push him not just on the field but off the field. He's been telling me about some of the speakers they have come in, and what they're going through and what they talk about, and how the coaches are. He loves the atmosphere.

"If you're going to talk about culture ... that's Dabo and Clemson. It's a unique place. It's a unique set of values. It's a unique system. With that and Clemson's big-time program and big-time success, it made it pretty easy for KB."

Pollack said Dabo Swinney is one of the few coaches with whom he has a meaningful relationship. He said Swinney was one of the people who called to offer him support after he was laid off.

Though Pollack thinks highly of Swinney as a man, leader and coach, he does point out that he was one of the first analysts to say years ago that Swinney and Clemson were risking falling behind by not making more use of the transfer portal. He believes Swinney will make more use of it moving forward.