Party line is Washington running back Chris Polk has chosen not to speak to reporters after practices this season.
He’s not being indirectly muzzled by the coaching staff, reporters are told. Polk has decide not to talk. Yeah, right.
After rumbling for a career-high 138 rushing yards on Saturday night, Polk took roughly 146 questions. That is exaggeration, but no one was asked more postgame questions and answered them more willingly than Polk.
And a few answers exemplified why Washington coaches may want to turn off his mic.
How much life did this bring back to the team?
“Puts backs a lot of life,” Polk said. “We know we had some guys slipping away, like ‘Oh, man, this again?’ But this reassured us what we’re doing is right and that we should believe in our coaches and do what we’re coached to do.”
How many carries would you like a game?
“I’d say like 30,” Polk said. “I just want to win. Whatever my team needs me to do, I’ll do.”
Must have been hard on coach Steve Sarkisian to not call several passes in the second half, huh?
“I think so,” Polk said. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”
Quinton Richardson’s interception was a huge swing, eh?
“Yeah. It felt like some of the calls they called on us were cheating, when that happened, cheaters never prosper came into my mind,” Polk said.
Hardly anything criminal in there. If Polk is guilty of anything, it’s lacking a large amount of tact. So be it.
The redshirt sophomore is on pace for his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. He set the freshman rushing record with 1,113 yards last season. He’s on pace for 1,042 yards this season and more carries than last, the latter a surprise.
If Polk keeps his pace of 87 yards per game, he will finish the year 12th all-time in rushing yards at Washington. Maintaining his projected average of 1,078 yards per season, he will leave school with 4,312 yards. That will make him the all-time leading rusher, surpassing Napoleon Kaufman’s 4,106 yards from 1991-94.
Polk says he now understands why he shares carries. He is watching more film, talking with the coaches more often.
“I want the ball all the time but now I understand why we do certain things we do,” Polk said.
Even if he’s not talking about it.
