Texans safety Bernard Pollard is not only one of the hardest hitters on the team, he's one of the most entertaining talkers.
Check out these highlights from his **Wednesday live chat** on HoustonTexans.com, along with some added links for your enjoyment.
Blaine Juergens - Livingston, TX, US: How long do you plan on staying in Houston? (Stay forever)
Bernard Pollard (12:05:09 PM): For the rest of my career. Those are my intentions. This is a great place for my family and myself. I have great teammates, great coaching, great management, and I love it here.
Jose - Baytown, TX, US: How many interceptions you think you will have next year?
Bernard Pollard (12:08:49 PM): I'm going for nine. I want nine or 10. We're fortunate with the D-line that we have to get pressure, and that's big for the secondary so I'm going for nine or 10 and hopefully we can create at least 30 interceptions for our teammates this year.
Thomas - New Hyde Park, NY, US: Glad you are back with the Texans. Would you ever consider joining Brian Cushing on that **MMA training workout?**
Bernard Pollard (2:37:19 PM): No, I won't consider training with him because Cushing is the type of guy that as a kid you didn't want to rough house with because he took things too far. So no, I'm not going to consider MMA'ing with him. I'm going to take my training and do what I do on the field and let him do his own thing and take that to the field. That is a crazy son of a gun.
Joseph Akers - Cypress, TX, US: Dear Bernard, What a joy it has been to have you as a Texan! I'm so proud of our team and the work that you have been doing!!! Keep up the great work! Question: How do you feel about your nickname 'Bonecrusher'? Did you first get it at Purdue or did it follow you from high school? Sincerely, Joseph
Bernard Pollard (12:34:17 PM): You know what, I actually got it at Purdue after we played Minnesota when I slammed a player my junior year. There was a linebacker on our team who had that nickname, but when I **picked the guy up and slammed him**, the commentator accidentally called me Bonecrusher. Ever since that hit, I've been called Bonecrusher. I don't say much about it, I let people call me whatever they want to call me. But it's just funny at times. I'll hear people call me that in public just to get my attention. Every time I'm back in Kansas City, all I'll hear is "Bonecrusher!" when I'm walking around in public. They don't even think to call me Bernard. It's just funny.
William Bowman - FT Huachuca, AZ, US: Glad to have you back this year!! Could you please if you do nothing else this year do this one thing? Destroy Dallas!!! Do you think having the "Toughest" schedule this year will change anything going into camp? They all look like a bunch of punks to me......GO TEXANS!!!
Bernard Pollard (2:40:23 PM): First of all, I commend you for everything you're doing for our country. As far as the schedule, it's not going to do anything but test our character, to see what we're going to do, who's going to man up and who's going to sit down. I believe that everybody on our team, along with whoever they bring in here from the draft and free agency, I think there's going to be a mindset that we expect to win, we expect to go to the playoffs and nothing less. I think that if that's not the expectation for somebody, they don't need to be on this team or be in this locker room, and I won't allow it and neither will anybody else on this team. We're not going to tolerate that. It's a new mindset here.
Juan Sanchez - Houston, TX, US: Hey bernard i always wanted to know, do you defensive guys hang out? I noticed cushing is the humourous type is he funny? Also how many people you plan on laying out this season haha =D whoo!!
Bernard Pollard (12:43:42 PM): Defensively, we try to do something weekly during the season, and I think that builds team camaraderie and builds trust among players. It's needed on the team; you need to get away from family and kind of hang out with guys outside the football field. But I think DeMeco (Ryans) does a great job. He's the coordinator of that. Sometimes we go by position, sometimes we go as a whole defense. Like I said, he does a great job of building trust and everything else between the guys.
Marcus - Houston, TX, US: Who is the better dancer Jacoby Jones or yourself?
Bernard Pollard (2:43:44 PM): I'm going to give it to Jacoby becuase he's more than willling to show it on gameday, and I'm kind of the hesitant type where I'm more wanting to bark and scare you on gameday rather than dance. I don't want to catch balls and run away, I want to run into you. I don't have any need to run away from you - unless I catch a pick.
David Mack - San Mateo, CA, US: B-31, You are without a doubt the neutralizer, the mad bomber, the "it-factor" of the Texans secondary. It is an absolute blessing that you **joined** and have since **re-signed with the Texans**, a long-term contract will come! Clearly you are top on the list of achievers this past season, so what is it that motivates you on Sunday?
Bernard Pollard (2:47:56 PM): Yes, I am truly blessed, and thank you. I guess the biggest thing that motivates me is that pigskin. Whoever has it, you have an opportunity to either light them up or get lit up. I believe with everything that happened to me this past season, being cut then finding a team where I can spend the rest of my career, I think that's a big thing for me. And everything that I've been through in Kansas City and everywhere else, that motivates me. I don't ever want to be on the street. I don't ever want to figure out who am I going to play for next. Yes, the long term contract is going to come. I truly believe that if you don't want to give me respect, I will take it. I can't do it on the street when I'm walking around with my family, because that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. But when we're on the football field, I've got equipment on and you've got equipment on and I'm going to take every bit of anger that I have inside of me and use it to the best of my ability, but in a smart way, too.
Is it September yet? Check out **this video** for more from Pollard.
