Photo by: WVU Athletic Communications
Polendey Primed To Showcase His Talents For Mountaineers
April 27, 2022 01:00 PM | Football, Blog
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – There's an old saying in football that the film doesn't lie. Well, the positive reviews of Brian Polendey's film while playing at Miami and Colorado State have afforded him the opportunity to conclude his collegiate football career at West Virginia University this season.
When T.J. Banks put his name into the transfer portal at the end of last year, West Virginia needed to find another proven tight end to go along with junior Mike O'Laughlin. Tight ends coach Travis Trickett, who has since moved on to become South Florida's offensive coordinator, watched tape of every tight end available in the transfer portal last December.
The one who really got his attention was Polendey, who was Mackey Award winner Trey McBride's backup at Colorado State. McBride caught 90 passes for 1,121 yards last year for the Rams. Polendey caught zero. His only stats were a couple of special teams tackles against Wyoming and Nevada.
"Forget the stats, he had the best film by far for what we were looking for," Trickett recalled.
What West Virginia got is a physical, 6-foot-4-inch, 252-pounder who is going to help bolster a formidable offensive line that returns completely intact.
Having Polendey's physical presence attached on either side of West Virginia's tackles is really going to enhance the Mountaineers' 12- and 13-personnel packages.
"We wanted to get a tight end in the portal, and our objective was we wanted to find a blocker first and foremost, and we wanted somebody who has played and had experience, and he's played a lot," coach Neal Brown said recently. "The other tight end at Colorado State who won the Mackey Award was a really good receiver and a pretty good blocker, and the thing that stood out on Brian's film is he can play with his hand down and in the hip position, and he was really physical at the point of attack."
When Polendey was growing up, his father had visions of his son becoming a dominant lefthanded pitcher, but when his UPS job required a move to the Seattle area when Brian was just starting high school, Brian's mother encouraged him to take up football as a way of meeting some new friends.
Polendey eventually gave up baseball and was encouraged to play tight end by his father.
"I've never been the guy who had like 100 friends, but I've always had like a couple of good friends so football has definitely given me a lot of good friends," Polendey said recently. "Mom could tell I needed to get some energy out when I was younger."
The camaraderie of the game is something that has always been appealing to Polendey.
"Football is not a fun game if you're not playing it, when you're training in the offseason waking up at 5 a.m. every day," he admitted. "When you're lifting, running and all that stuff, it's not fun, but what is fun is going out there with your brothers on Saturdays in a stadium like this and just putting it on the line. After doing it together, it's a pretty beautiful thing when you come out on top."
His football career eventually took off when the family moved again to Denton, Texas, and he played at Guyer High. He didn't catch a lot of passes there, but his ability to perform in coach John Walsh's run-heavy, play-action offense attracted plenty of interest from major programs.
Polendey ended up choosing Miami over offers from Arkansas, Colorado and Michigan, and he spent three seasons in Coral Gables where he appeared in 14 games. Two of the tight ends Polendey performed with at Miami, Christopher Herndon IV and Brevin Jordan, are currently in the NFL.
"I've played with and behind a lot of good tight ends in my career," Polendey said.
After three unfulfilled seasons at Miami, Polendey felt another move was in order so he packed his bags and moved back across the country to Fort Collins, Colorado, where he spent an eye-opening season playing with McBride, the nation's top tight end.
"Trey is probably one of the most gifted athletes I've ever been around," Polendey said. "He's freakishly strong and a smart football player. I've tried to emulate him ever since I got here, just looking back on my time with him and everything he did. He was always a guy putting in extra work – a guy who was coachable and played every down as if it were his last down."
That seems to be how West Virginia coaches have come to view Polendey after 15 spring football practices.
"I love his approach," Brown raved. "He's a great teammate. The guys love him. He's the same every day, consistent, which I think is a great compliment. He has great self-awareness, and he knows who he is, and he's not trying to be somebody he's not."
Polendey said there were many appealing aspects to West Virginia's program when he decided to transfer last December. It was minus-5 degrees when he packed up his U-Haul for his two-day journey across the country to Morgantown, making one pit stop in between in St. Louis.
"It was a mixture between the coaches, the players here and all of the amenities they have to offer," he explained. "I'd say the biggest thing is all of the recovery technology we have here because I've been placed where we had cold tubs and all of that, but coach Mike (Joseph) has offered a whole new emphasis on getting your body right and getting ready to play. This is more geared towards performing to the best of your ability."
The Eugene, Oregon, native admitted the opportunity to catch a few more passes and expand his overall game in Graham Harrell's offense also was enticing.
"I've been in systems the past three years that were going to keep me in the same role I've been in and here I saw an opportunity to become a more complete player, and I think that's what I was looking for more than anything," he said.
Brown and tight ends coach Sean Reagan agree that part of his game is improving.
Polendey is hopeful this is the year he can finally showcase all of his talents, not just his blocking abilities.
"I've had some setbacks with injuries, but I think now I'm primed and ready to prove what I can do and show all of the growth I've had throughout my career and just make it happen this year," he concluded.
When T.J. Banks put his name into the transfer portal at the end of last year, West Virginia needed to find another proven tight end to go along with junior Mike O'Laughlin. Tight ends coach Travis Trickett, who has since moved on to become South Florida's offensive coordinator, watched tape of every tight end available in the transfer portal last December.
The one who really got his attention was Polendey, who was Mackey Award winner Trey McBride's backup at Colorado State. McBride caught 90 passes for 1,121 yards last year for the Rams. Polendey caught zero. His only stats were a couple of special teams tackles against Wyoming and Nevada.
"Forget the stats, he had the best film by far for what we were looking for," Trickett recalled.
What West Virginia got is a physical, 6-foot-4-inch, 252-pounder who is going to help bolster a formidable offensive line that returns completely intact.
Having Polendey's physical presence attached on either side of West Virginia's tackles is really going to enhance the Mountaineers' 12- and 13-personnel packages.
"We wanted to get a tight end in the portal, and our objective was we wanted to find a blocker first and foremost, and we wanted somebody who has played and had experience, and he's played a lot," coach Neal Brown said recently. "The other tight end at Colorado State who won the Mackey Award was a really good receiver and a pretty good blocker, and the thing that stood out on Brian's film is he can play with his hand down and in the hip position, and he was really physical at the point of attack."
When Polendey was growing up, his father had visions of his son becoming a dominant lefthanded pitcher, but when his UPS job required a move to the Seattle area when Brian was just starting high school, Brian's mother encouraged him to take up football as a way of meeting some new friends.Polendey eventually gave up baseball and was encouraged to play tight end by his father.
"I've never been the guy who had like 100 friends, but I've always had like a couple of good friends so football has definitely given me a lot of good friends," Polendey said recently. "Mom could tell I needed to get some energy out when I was younger."
The camaraderie of the game is something that has always been appealing to Polendey.
"Football is not a fun game if you're not playing it, when you're training in the offseason waking up at 5 a.m. every day," he admitted. "When you're lifting, running and all that stuff, it's not fun, but what is fun is going out there with your brothers on Saturdays in a stadium like this and just putting it on the line. After doing it together, it's a pretty beautiful thing when you come out on top."
His football career eventually took off when the family moved again to Denton, Texas, and he played at Guyer High. He didn't catch a lot of passes there, but his ability to perform in coach John Walsh's run-heavy, play-action offense attracted plenty of interest from major programs.
Polendey ended up choosing Miami over offers from Arkansas, Colorado and Michigan, and he spent three seasons in Coral Gables where he appeared in 14 games. Two of the tight ends Polendey performed with at Miami, Christopher Herndon IV and Brevin Jordan, are currently in the NFL.
"I've played with and behind a lot of good tight ends in my career," Polendey said.
After three unfulfilled seasons at Miami, Polendey felt another move was in order so he packed his bags and moved back across the country to Fort Collins, Colorado, where he spent an eye-opening season playing with McBride, the nation's top tight end.
"Trey is probably one of the most gifted athletes I've ever been around," Polendey said. "He's freakishly strong and a smart football player. I've tried to emulate him ever since I got here, just looking back on my time with him and everything he did. He was always a guy putting in extra work – a guy who was coachable and played every down as if it were his last down."
That seems to be how West Virginia coaches have come to view Polendey after 15 spring football practices.
"I love his approach," Brown raved. "He's a great teammate. The guys love him. He's the same every day, consistent, which I think is a great compliment. He has great self-awareness, and he knows who he is, and he's not trying to be somebody he's not."
Polendey said there were many appealing aspects to West Virginia's program when he decided to transfer last December. It was minus-5 degrees when he packed up his U-Haul for his two-day journey across the country to Morgantown, making one pit stop in between in St. Louis.
"It was a mixture between the coaches, the players here and all of the amenities they have to offer," he explained. "I'd say the biggest thing is all of the recovery technology we have here because I've been placed where we had cold tubs and all of that, but coach Mike (Joseph) has offered a whole new emphasis on getting your body right and getting ready to play. This is more geared towards performing to the best of your ability."
The Eugene, Oregon, native admitted the opportunity to catch a few more passes and expand his overall game in Graham Harrell's offense also was enticing.
"I've been in systems the past three years that were going to keep me in the same role I've been in and here I saw an opportunity to become a more complete player, and I think that's what I was looking for more than anything," he said.
Brown and tight ends coach Sean Reagan agree that part of his game is improving.
Polendey is hopeful this is the year he can finally showcase all of his talents, not just his blocking abilities.
"I've had some setbacks with injuries, but I think now I'm primed and ready to prove what I can do and show all of the growth I've had throughout my career and just make it happen this year," he concluded.
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