- Selected in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by San Diego
- 2000 First-Team All-American (AP, AFCA)
- 2000 First-Team All-Big 12 (AP, Coaches, Football News, The Sporting News, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle)
- 2000 Butkus Award Semifinalist (1 of 11)
- 2000 Football News National Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist (1 of 15)
- 2000 Bronko Nagurski Watch List (1 of 46)
- 2000 Second-Team All-American (Walter Camp)
- 2000 Third-Team All-American (The Sporting News)
- 2000 CNNSI.com Half-American Team Honorable-Mention
- 2000 Honorable-Mention All-American (CNNSI.com)
- 2000 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week vs. Notre Dame
- 2000 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week vs. Notre Dame
- 2000 Team Co-Captain as chosen by his teammates
- 1999 First-Team All-Big 12 (AP, Coaches, Football News, Austin American Statesman, San Antonio News Express, Fort Worth Star-Bulletin)
- Two-Time Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Academic Honor Roll (1997, 2000)
- Nebraska Position Record (LB) for 40-Yard Dash Points (744) and Pro-Agility Run Points (766)
2000 (Senior)
A first-team All-American (AP, AFCA), a Butkus Award and Football News Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist and a candidate for the Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year, Nebraska linebacker Carlos Polk was the heart and soul of a Nebraska defense that ranked among the nation's top 30 in every category.
One of the most dominant middle linebackers in school history, Polk earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in each of his last two seasons. He finished second on the team in tackles in 1999 and led the team in 2000 with 90 stops.
A vocal leader, Polk ended his Husker career with 227 career tackles, ranking 14th on the NU all-time list. Polk, who started every game in 1999 and 2000, finished his career with 32 tackles for 134 yards lost and 10 sacks for 88 yards lost. His 32 tackles for loss rank ninth in NU history.
1999 (Junior)
Polk started all 13 games at Mike linebacker for the Huskers, aiding NU to top-six national rankings in all four defensive categories. He was a key factor as NU held opponents to just 77.1 yards per game rushing. Polk ranked second on the team in tackles to departed first-team All-American Mike Brown with 83 (32 solo), and finished second on the team in tackles for loss and sacks with 12-56 and 6.5-47, respectively.
Polk led the team in tackles in five games, including the Fiest Bowl win over Tennessee, and finished with a team-leading 21 quarterback hurries. He also had three breakups and one forced fumble. He had at least one tackle for loss in nine of 13 games.
1998 (Sophomore)
Playing in all 13 games, Polk had 22 tackles, including 13 solo stops. He had five tackles for 24 yards lost, including a 10-yard sack on Kansas State's Michael Bishop. He also had one breakup, a fumble caused and recovered on the Bishop sack, a second forced fumble vs. UAB and a 16-yard interception vs. California. His pickoff came on the Bears' last drive of the game, securing the Huskers' 24-3 victory. A hard hitter, Polk had a season-best two tackles for nine yards lost vs. Iowa State. He added a season-best five tackles against No. 19 Missouri.
Polk was also a member of the Huskers' No. 1 kickoff coverage and punt return teams. He had one assisted tackle in the Holiday Bowl against Arizona.
1997 (Redshirt Freshman)
Polk played in all 12 games and totaled 32 tackles (eight solo), including six tackles for 24 yards lost and one sack for a huge 18 yards lost vs. Texas Tech. Polk also had two fumbles caused, one recovered and one quarterback hurry. His best game came with a six-tackle effort against Oklahoma when he also had one tackle for one yard lost.
Polk had at least three tackles in three of the last four games. He was a member of the Huskers' No. 1 kickoff coverage team. Polk had one assisted tackle in the national championship game against Tennessee in the FedEx Orange Bowl, as the Huskers earned their third national title in the 1990s. He was also named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Academic Honor Roll.
1996 (Senior)
A scholarship athlete, Polk redshirted his first season.
Before Nebraska (Guilford HS)
An All-American linebacker by USA Today, Polk finished his prep career as one of the all-time leading tacklers in Illinois high school history. Polk played linebacker for Coach Rich Infusino at Guilford High School in Rockford, Ill. Polk was credited with 453 career tackles for the Vikings, and had 10 fumble recoveries, seven blocked kicks, five interceptions, and 30 hits behind the line of scrimmage for 150 yards lost.
In his senior year, he had 152 tackles, including 13 quarterback sacks for 65 yards, three fumble recoveries, three blocked kicks and one interception. He helped lead Guilford to a 7-2 record and the first round of the Illinois State Class 5A (second largest) playoffs. In the first-round game against Bollingbrook, Polk was credited with 30 tackles (24 first-hit stops) and a fumble recovery despite a casted hand because of a broken thumb.
He was a three-time all-conference honoree, all-state as a senior, and was selected to play in the Illinois All-Star Game. Polk was selected as the Northern Illinois Conference-9 Defensive Player of the Year. He also started for his basketball team.
Polk chose Nebraska over Wisconsin, Arizona State and Iowa State. He was also recruited by Iowa and Illinois.
Personal
The son of John and Roberta Moore, Carlos was born on Feb. 22, 1977. A sociology major, Polk graduated in December of 2000. He was a member of the 2000 Nebraska Unity Council.
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Tackles
.
.
Fum.
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.
.
QB
Int.
Year
G/S
UT
AT
TT
TFL
Sacks
C-R
BK
PBU
PI
Hry.
Csd.
1996
Redshirted
1997
12/0
8
24
32
6-24
1-18
2-0
0
0
0
1
0
1998
12/0
13
9
22
5-24
1-10
2-1
0
1
1
0
0
1999
12/12
32
51
83
12-56
6.5-47
1-0
0
3
0
21
1
2000
11/11
40
50
90
9-30
1.5-13
0-0
1
5
1
13
1
Totals 47/23 93 134 227 32-134 10-88 5-1 1 9 2 35 2Interceptions Returns - 2-55-1; 1-16-0 vs. California, 1998; 1-39-1 vs. Colorado, 2000 1998 Orange Bowl vs. Tennessee: 0 UT, 1 AT, 1 TT 1998 Holiday Bowl vs. Arizona: 0 UT, 1 AT, 1 TT 2000 Fiesta Bowl vs. Tennessee: 2 UT, 6 AT, 8 TT, 1 QBH 2000 Alamo Bowl vs. Northwestern: 3 UT, 1 AT, 4 TT, 1 PBU, 1 QBH Tackles - 17 at Kansas State, 2000 Solo Tackles - 9 at Kansas State, 2000 TFL - 3-9 vs. Kansas, 2000 Sacks - 1.5-8 vs.Kansas State, 1999 Quarterback Hurries - 5 vs. Texas Tech, 2000 Passes Broken Up - 2 vs. Notre Dame, Iowa, 2000 Interceptions - 1-16 yards vs. Cal, 1998; 1-39-TD vs. Colorado, 2000 Fumble Returns - 1-0 vs. Kansas State, 1998 Blocked Kicks - 1 PAT vs. San Jose State, 2000 Double-Figure Tackle Games - 6, 2 in 1999, 4 in 2000