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The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Warriors DTs Speight, Pollard learning to beat foes to the punch
- Story byThe Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- Warriors DTs Speight, Pollard learning to beat foes to the punch
For this week's road trip to Wyoming, Hawaii defensive linemen Geoffrey Speight Jr. and Ozzy Pollard will be packing their "punch."
The interior linemen have used a punch — a quick-handed strike — to consistently create separation from grasping blockers. The technique has cleared paths to the backfield for linebackers, and allowed Speight and Pollard to make box tackles. Eight of Speight's 10 stops have been in the tackle box, the imaginary rectangle that stretches from the backfield to 3 yards from the line of scrimmage. All six of Pollard's tackles were in the box.
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"We work with each other, and see where we can attack," said Speight, who played at West Georgia in 2025 after three seasons at VMI.
"When I first got here," said Pollard, who joined the Rainbow Warriors in January after a freshman season at Marian University, "I wasn't firing off (a 3-point stance). He helped with the mechanics of that. He showed me the ropes."
At the start of the 2026 spring semester, the new Warriors became fast friends.
"This guy Geoff walked into the locker room one day, probably a week after I got here, I talked to him, and realized he was a D-tackle," Pollard recalled. "From then on, we just kept hanging out. That created a bond on and off the field."
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The pair took separate paths to Manoa. Speight was reared in McDonough, Ga., a city in the Atlanta metropolitan area, and was a standout defensive lineman at Union Grove High School. Valuing how the sport instills discipline and accountability, Speight went to VMI, an FCS military college in Lexington, Va. Three years later, he transferred to West Georgia "to be closer to home." When head coach Joel Taylor accepted the head position at Mercer, Speight entered the portal.
Pollard's father, Scot, played 11 NBA seasons.
"I was born in '07, and his last year was '08 with the Celtics," Pollard said.
Pollard played basketball until he realized he was a better fit for football.
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"I was able to be more physical with my body, because in basketball, you can't be too physical," Pollard said.
At UH, Speight's "twitch" — the quick first movement — was better suited for 3-tech tackle, which aligns in the gap between an offense's guard and tackle.
"In the interior, things happen quick," said Speight, who is 6-1 and 290 pounds. "You have to quickly think on your feet and know what to do with your technique and execute perfectly."
At 6-4 and 300 pounds, Pollard is considered tall for a nose tackle.
"I can't play at 6-4, I have to play like I'm 6 feet," Pollard said. "I have to get down low. What helped me is I used to play basketball. On defense (in basketball), you have to be low. You have to keep your feet wide (apart). That helped me using my leverage a little bit. Geoff taught me how to be more athletic in a lower stance."
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Speight has started all three games. Pollard has been in the past two opening lineups.
"He's really twitchy," Pollard said. "His twitch off the ball is crazy. I'm not saying I'm slow off the ball, but he has that twitch at the 3-tech that really helps him at that position. I thrive in taking on the contact."
For Speight, it begins with the torque from his hips that leads to the punch.
"If you have a strong get-off and a strong punch, that's all you need," Speight said. "Go from the glutes to the hips to the punch. No matter what block you face, if you have a strong punch and get-off, it doesn't matter. You can kill the block in the first split-second of the play."
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Speight passed the torque to Pollard.
"At first, Geoff helped me on my hip firing," Pollard said. "At nose and 3-tech, right off the ball you're going to get hit. You have to try to hit them before they hit you. One step, half a step, you have to get your cleats in the ground or you'll get knocked off."
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