ATHENS, Ga. - David Pollack is no longer a Georgia Bulldog, but you can't prove it by the statistics.

Check out the SEC stats, and you will see that a Georgia defensive end is still making big plays.

Defensive end Quentin Moses has four sacks and two fumble recoveries in four games. Those are Pollack-like numbers.

But there's no Pollack. Just a Pollack fan.

Moses grew up in Athens and played high school football there. So he knew about Pollack before he arrived.

The more he observed Pollack, the more he admired him.

"I studied him a lot," said Moses, a 6-foot-5, 248-pound junior. "I'm lucky to have played with him.

"He always worked hard. A lot of people work hard. But through all his success, he was never satisfied. He just kept moving forward."

Moses is a completely different player than Pollack. He's not as big and strong, but he's very athletic.

He was a Class 4A all-state basketball player at Cedar Shoals High School. Colleges were interested, but not the colleges that Moses wanted.

When big-time basketball programs didn't come calling, Moses sought out a big-time football program. Nonetheless, he didn't dump his first love right away.

He joined former Georgia teammate Fred Gibson on the basketball team as a walk-on. If coach Jim Harrick hadn't been fired, Moses said he probably would still be playing both sports.

"When Coach Harrick got into that situation, I saw that as a sign," Moses said. "I decided to focus on football."

He also decided to add a basketball twist to his football career.

Some of the same moves Moses once used in basketball serve him in his second-favorite sport. Instead of going for a rebound, he's going for a quarterback.

"Rushing the passer is kind of the same thing," he said. "I'll use a spin move or something similar to a crossover move.

"You've got a big guy trying to block you. So his feet won't be as quick as yours."

At least, not in most cases. Moses makes an exception for the UT offensive tackles he will face Saturday night in Neyland Stadium.

"Albert Toeaina is one of those unique offensive linemen," Moses said. "He's big and strong but he's also got quick feet. All their linemen do.

"It's going to be a lot harder this week. They don't give up many sacks. You just can't let that discourage you. We're in for a challenge."

It's the kind of challenge that usually brought out the best in Pollack. Some of his most memorable plays came in the biggest games.

"I'm not a power, run-you-over rusher like Pollack was," Moses said. "You would see Pollack do things that were breathtaking."

Moses remembers more than the spectacular plays. He remembers the practices.

"Even in practice, he was always going hard," Moses said. "He never seemed to get tired and always seemed so focused."

Moses admittedly struggles to match Pollack's practice-field intensity. But he's committed to emulating Pollack's gung-ho approach on game day.

"If I make a mental error, it's going to be going all out," Moses said.

He's also looking for any edge he can find against his opponents. That's why he spends so much time studying videotape.

"You watch what other people did that works," Moses said. "If it works, I'm gonna try it. It's like a copycat thing."

And if he can't find anything on videotape worth copying, he at least has the memory of Pollack.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.