# Chris Polk
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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Polk
> Source revision: 1291017752
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{{Short description|American football player (born 1989)}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Chris Polk
| image = Chris Polk UW.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Polk at the 2011 Alamo Bowl
| current_team =
| number = 32, 22
| position = [Running back](/source/Running_back)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|12|16|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [San Pedro, California](/source/San_Pedro%2C_Los_Angeles), U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lbs = 224
| high_school = [Redlands East Valley](/source/Redlands_East_Valley_High_School) {{avoid wrap|([Redlands, California](/source/Redlands%2C_California))}}
| college = [Washington](/source/Washington_Huskies_football)
| undraftedyear = 2012
| pastteams =
* [Philadelphia Eagles](/source/Philadelphia_Eagles) ({{NFL Year|2012}}–{{NFL Year|2014}})
* [Houston Texans](/source/Houston_Texans) ({{NFL Year|2015}})
| status =
| highlights =
* First-team [All-Pac-12](/source/List_of_All-Pac-12_Conference_football_teams) ([2011](/source/2011_All-Pac-12_Conference_football_team))
* Second-team [All-Pac-10](/source/List_of_All-Pac-12_Conference_football_teams) ([2010](/source/2010_All-Pacific-10_Conference_football_team))
| statweek =
| statseason =
| statlabel1 = [Rushing attempts](/source/Carry_(American_football))
| statvalue1 = 156
| statlabel2 = [Rushing yards](/source/Rushing_yards)
| statvalue2 = 604
| statlabel3 = [Receptions](/source/Reception_(American_football))
| statvalue3 = 22
| statlabel4 = [Receiving yards](/source/Receiving_yards)
| statvalue4 = 186
| statlabel5 = [Return yards](/source/Return_yards)
| statvalue5 = 348
| statlabel6 = [Total touchdowns](/source/Touchdown)
| statvalue6 = 10
|pfr=PolkCh00
}}
'''Chris Polk''' (born December 16, 1989) is an American former professional [football](/source/American_football) player who was a [running back](/source/running_back) in the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League) (NFL). He played [college football](/source/college_football) for the [Washington Huskies](/source/Washington_Huskies_football). Despite being considered a top running back prospect for the [2012 NFL draft](/source/2012_NFL_draft), he went undrafted due to concerns over a potentially degenerative shoulder condition.[{{cite news | url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2018097121_localdraft29.html | title=Star Huskies running back Chris Polk not taken in NFL draft | newspaper=[Seattle Times](/source/Seattle_Times) |date=April 28, 2012 | access-date=April 29, 2012}}] He signed with the [Philadelphia Eagles](/source/Philadelphia_Eagles) as an [undrafted free agent](/source/undrafted_free_agent) in 2012.
==Early life==
Polk played at [Redlands East Valley High School](/source/Redlands_East_Valley_High_School) in [Redlands, California](/source/Redlands%2C_California). Rated the #4 all-purpose back in the nation, Polk led his team to a 12-1 record and to the Inland Division semifinals in 2007. During his senior season Polk had a game in which he rushed for 214 yards on only 5 carries. Polk earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section Inland Division honors as well as being named a SuperPrep All-American his senior season.[{{cite web |url=http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/polk_chris00.html |title=Chris Polk UW Bio |publisher=GoHuskies.com |access-date=December 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515092114/http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/polk_chris00.html |archive-date=May 15, 2012 }}]
==College career==
Polk enrolled early at the [University of Washington](/source/University_of_Washington) in January 2008. He played in the first two games of the season before being injured and missing the rest of the season. Although he qualified for a medical redshirt for the 2008 season, he never applied and sat out the remainder of the season.[{{cite news |author=Rang, Rob |title=Senior Bowl invites Washington "junior" RB Polk |url=http://rob-rang.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/13682485/34467109 |work=CBS Sports |date=January 19, 2012 |access-date=January 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123024854/http://rob-rang.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/13682485/34467109 |archive-date=January 23, 2012 |url-status=dead }}]
Polk became the starting running back in 2009 and also worked as a kick returner. He rushed for 1,113 yards on 226 attempts and five touchdowns after playing in all 12 games of the season. He had four consecutive 100-yard games, which is third in school history. He earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors and freshman All-Pac-10 first-team honors.{{ref label|a|1}}[
Polk played in all 13 games at running back in 2010, and recorded 1,415 yards and nine touchdowns on 260 attempts. In a game against [Washington State](/source/2010_Washington_State_Cougars_football_team), he rushed for a career-high 284 yards and two touchdowns on 29 attempts.][{{cite web|url=http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/players/playerpage/1631997/chris-polk |title=Chris Polk Stats |publisher=CBSsports.com |access-date=December 23, 2010}}] Polk's 284 yards was second-most in school history, trailing [Hugh McElhenny](/source/Hugh_McElhenny)'s 296 in the 1950 [Apple Cup](/source/Apple_Cup).[{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=303380265|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115234312/http://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=303380265|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 15, 2019|title = Washington vs. Washington State - Game Recap - December 4, 2010 - ESPN}}] He rushed for 177 yards and a touchdown against 18th-ranked [Nebraska](/source/2010_Nebraska_Cornhuskers_football_team) in the [Holiday Bowl](/source/2010_Holiday_Bowl). At the end of the game he was named the Offensive MVP.
Polk suffered a knee injury during practice before the 2011 season that needed to be corrected with [arthroscopic surgery](/source/arthroscopic_surgery). He rushed for 125 yards on 23 attempts during the season-opener against [Eastern Washington](/source/2011_Eastern_Washington_Eagles_football_team).[{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/14889/chris-polk|title = Chris Polk Stats, News, Bio}}] Against [Arizona](/source/2011_Arizona_Wildcats_football_team) on October 30, he gained 244 total yards and scored five touchdowns, one shy of the single-game [Pac-12](/source/Pac-12_Conference) record.
==Professional career==
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 10 1/2
| weight = 215
| dash = 4.45
| ten split = 1.57
| twenty split = 2.62
| shuttle = 4.21
| cone drill = 7.13
| vertical = 31.5
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 3
| bench = 16
| arm span = 31 1/2
| hand span = 9 3/4
| note = All values from 2012 [NFL Scouting Combine](/source/NFL_Scouting_Combine)/[Pro Day](/source/Pro_Day)[{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/chris-polk/3200504f-4c12-5846-ad6b-65b0468a91ae |title=Chris Polk Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=March 24, 2024}}][{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=84016&DraftYear=2012 |title=2012 NFL Draft Scout Chris Polk College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=April 29, 2012}}]
}}
===Philadelphia Eagles===
Polk signed as an undrafted free agent with the [Philadelphia Eagles](/source/Philadelphia_Eagles) on April 28, 2012. ''[The Sporting News](/source/The_Sporting_News)'' called Polk the top undrafted player of the [2012 NFL draft](/source/2012_NFL_draft).[{{cite magazine | url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-04-29/nfl-draft-2012-top-undrafted-free-agents | title=NFL Draft 2012 Top Undrafted Free-Agents | magazine=Sporting News | access-date=April 29, 2012 | archive-date=May 1, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501102354/http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-04-29/nfl-draft-2012-top-undrafted-free-agents | url-status=dead }}] It is believed that injury concerns led to Polk's not being drafted.[{{cite news | url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2018097121_localdraft29.html | title=Star Huskies running back Chris Polk not taken in NFL draft | newspaper=Seattle Times | access-date=April 29, 2012}}] He made the team and was the 4th string running back all season.
In his second season, after third string running back [Dion Lewis](/source/Dion_Lewis) was traded to the Browns, Polk made more of an impact for the [Eagles](/source/Philadelphia_Eagles), rushing for 98 yards on the season, including three touchdowns. He ran for a career-high 50 yards on four carries in a week 14 win over the [Detroit Lions](/source/Detroit_Lions). He finished fifth on the team in rushing yards (98), behind [LeSean McCoy](/source/LeSean_McCoy), [Bryce Brown](/source/Bryce_Brown), [Michael Vick](/source/Michael_Vick) and [Nick Foles](/source/Nick_Foles).
In Week 3 of the 2014 season, Polk was given kick return duty against the [Washington Redskins](/source/Washington_Redskins). His best game rushing was against the Cowboys in Philadelphia, where he scored two touchdowns on two carries in a 27-38 loss. He finished with 172 yards rushing and 340 returning on only 11 returns, with 5 all-purpose touchdowns. Despite only having 46 carries, Polk finished third in both rushing yards (172) and rushing touchdowns (4), behind Lesean McCoy (1,319, 5) and newly acquired [Darren Sproles](/source/Darren_Sproles) (329, 6). Polk was given a restricted free agent tender after the 2014 season, but on April 24, 2015, the team rescinded the tender, making him an unrestricted free agent.[{{cite web|work=NFL.com|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/eagles-rescind-rfa-tender-to-chris-polk-per-report-0ap3000000488071|title=Eagles rescind RFA tender to Chris Polk, per report|first=Marc|last=Sessler|date=April 24, 2015|access-date=April 25, 2015}}]
===Houston Texans===
Polk signed a one-year deal with the [Houston Texans](/source/Houston_Texans) on April 28, 2015. Due to injuries limiting the starter [Arian Foster](/source/Arian_Foster) to only 4 games, Polk had more opportunities as the Texans' backup running back. Polk played in 15 games and started 2, recording 99 carries for 334 yards and a touchdown, as well as 16 catches for 109 yards and his first career receiving touchdown.[{{Cite web |title=Chris Polk 2015 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PolkCh00/gamelog/2015/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}]
==Notes==
#{{note|a}}Polk was technically a sophomore in 2009, but the NCAA and the University of Washington erroneously regarded the season as his redshirt freshman season.