NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 2 - Carlos Polk, Guilford

If Carlos Polk had been picked by a different team on draft night he might have ended up the greatest football player in NIC-10 history.

At Guilford, Polk was one of the very rare three-time all-conference football players. Joining him on this small list from the top 100 is Adam Schlamp (Freeport), LaVerne Grell (Freeport) and Ralph Baker (Rockford). Boylan's Steve Harris and Auburn's Donterrio Hannah also were three-time first-team all-conference players, but they didn't accumulate enough points outside of high school to make this list.

Polk was about as dominant a player as you'll see in high school. In his three years (1993-1995), he was credited with 453 tackles, 10 fumble recoveries, seven blocked kicks, five interceptions and 30 tackles for loss. The Vikings went 18-11 over those three years. 

Guilford went 7-3 in his senior season, finishing in second place. It was the highest finish for Guilford since the 1982 team that won the state title. The Vikings wouldn't win as many as seven games again until 2006. Polk was named NIC-10 defensive MVP, was a consensus all-state linebacker and was picked to play in the Illinois All-Star Game.

Polk also was named to the USA Today All-America team. In researching this list, he appears to be one of only three high school All-Americans. East's Jerry Latin was named to the Sunkist All-American team in 1970 and Stuart Walker, also of East, was named to the Parade Magazine team in 1974.

It is not a stretch to say that Polk was the most highly sought after recruit in NIC-10 history. Arizona State, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State and Wisconsin. In the end, he chose Nebraska, which was perhaps the premier college program at the time. The Cornhuskers were completing their second straight undefeated season under Tom Osborne and a three year stretch where Nebraska went 36-1.

Polk redshirted in 1996 and was an immediate rotation player in 1997 as the Cornhuskers again went undefeated, winning the national championship with a 42-17 win over Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. In that title season, Polk had 32 tackles and one sack.

In 1999, Polk moved into the starting lineup and made first team All-Big 12. In 2000, Polk had one of the best college seasons every by a NIC-10 player. He was named first-team All-American by the Associated Press and American Football Coaches Association. He was a Football News Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist, a finalist for the Bronco Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year and the Butkus Award for the nation's top linebacker.

Polk ended his Nebraska career with 227 tackles, with 10 sacks and 32 tackles for loss. He still holds the NIC-10 record for tackles for loss for any player at the NCAA's highest level of college football. The Cornhuskers added Polk to their Nebraska Hall of Fame in 2010.

In 2001, the San Diego Chargers took Polk in the fourth round of the NFL draft. The Chargers had a need. Incumbent middle linebacker Junior Seau was 31 years old.

Unfortunately for Polk, Seau never retired, playing until he was 40. Polk ended up starting only six games in a seven-year NFL career. Instead, he became a special teams demon. He recorded 122 tackles in 75 games, including one playoff game. He became so well respected for special teams that he's become a special teams coach, getting hired in February 2022 by the Chicago Bears as assistant special teams coach.

Of course, had Polk been drafted by a team where he wasn't blocked by a Hall of Fame player, he may have found a starting role and earned enough points in this system to finish No. 1.

No. 2 - Carlos Polk, Guilford
Year	Level	Team	Accomplishments	Points
1993	High School	Guilford	First Team All-Conference	2
			Winning Record	1
1994	High School	Guilford	First Team All-Conference	2
			Winning Record	1
1995	High School	Guilford	First Team All-Conference	2
			NIC-9 Defensive MVP	1
			Playoff Team	1
			All-State	1
			USA Today All-American	1
1997	College	Nebraska	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Team	1
			National Champion	1
1998	College	Nebraska	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Team	1
1999	College	Nebraska	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			All-Big 12	1
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Game	1
2000	College	Nebraska	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			All-Big 12	1
			Consensus All-American	1
			Winning Team	1
			Bowl Game	1
			Career Record Holder (Tck-Loss)	1
2001	NFL	San Diego	Fourth Round Draft Pick	7
			Played in NFL	3
2002	NFL	San Diego	Played in NFL	3
2003	NFL	San Diego	Played in NFL	3
2004	NFL	San Diego	Played in NFL	3
2006	NFL	San Diego	Played in NFL	3
			Starter	1
			Playoff Team	1
2007	NFL	San Diego	Played in NFL	3
			Starter	1
			Playoff Team	1
2008	NFL	Dallas	Played in NFL	3
Totals				75

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players