“Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves and say, ‘Is this real?’” For many of us, the end goal of seeing our parents be proud of us is the dream. A dream Tony Pollard has successfully achieved. Playing with the Cowboys previously, the RB signed a hefty three-year, $24 million deal with the Titans this year. Drafted by the Cowboys back in 2019, as he transitioned to the NFL from the University of Memphis roster, he has been a force to reckon with on the field. And his parents have played a key role in whatever he has achieved to date.

One of the key performances of Pollard came across in Week 9, against the New England Patriots as he notched his season-high scores. Helping the Titans secure a strong season, his parents, Torria and Tarrance Pollard, couldn’t have been prouder!

Who Are Torria and Tarrance Pollard?

Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, Torria and Tarrance Pollard raised Tony in quite a supportive environment. Tony’s dad, Tarrance owns the Pollard’s Bar-B-Q, a barbecue restaurant that is located on Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, Tennessee. He picked up the trait of barbeque from Tony’s grandfather. Starting the business in 1995 with a food truck, he went on to expand it and eventually included a dine-in location in 2011.

Whenever Tony used to win at the football games, he was rewarded by Tarrance with steak dinners. Tarrance recalls, “I thought he’d want to go to McDonald’s or someplace like that. But he wanted to go to Houston’s and get a big steak. He scored so many touchdowns, we had to change the rules after that.”

On the other hand, Tony’s mom, was previously working as a flight scheduler for FedEx when she began her job back in 1973. While she was skeptical at the start regarding Tony’s NFL dreams, she is nothing but immensely proud of her son. She recalls, “When he was six, he said, ‘Mom, I’m going to the NFL.’ I said, ‘No you’re not, sit down.’ He proved me wrong.” And, indeed, he has achieved success proving himself.

Tony Pollard remains grateful as he learns about ethics

For Tony, his NFL success is not his alone. The journey that Tarrance and Torria still find hard to come to terms with has been phenomenal. When he was playing for the Cowboys, his mom used to reflect, “Sometimes I sit at home and say, ‘I can’t believe this…My son is on TV playing for the Cowboys?’”

Not just his family but even Memphis taught him the greatest life lessons. Tony remarks, “Things may not always go your way, but you can just keep going, look up, and see where you’re at once you keep going to where it gets you.”

Pollard gets his mindset of longevity from his dad. Now, as he plays for the Titans, he is pleased with the closeness to his home and family support. He states, “Just being close to family, having games so close to home so I can have a good home crowd.”

Now, as Torria views her son’s journey and his undying determination, she reflects, “I will never tell a child again to sit down. When they tell you something that they want to do, listen. Because my son proved me wrong.” The life lessons have indeed worked both ways, and Tony is always open to learning more from his parents to always embrace new opportunities.