Fired Falcons Staffer Lands Unexpected New Football Job

When the Atlanta Falcons had one of their best stretches in franchise history, Nick Polk was a big part of it. Polk was with the Falcons organization for nearly 20 years, helping with the franchise’s salary cap management and serving as the director of football operations.

While Polk’s tenure also included an appearance in Super Bowl LI, his time came to an end after Atlanta finished 7-10 in 2021. Polk has been out of the front office since his firing but has worked with the 33rd Team and the sports agency Athletes First. But Polk announced the next chapter of his career on Tuesday, and it may surprise some Falcons fans.

Former Falcons Executive Nick Polk Takes Job With Florida Gators

The Florida Gators announced that Polk would join their football program as the vice president of football operations on Tuesday. Polk’s duties with the Gators will include roster management, contracts, and revenue sharing while working with director of football strategy Ben Elsner and general manager Jacob LaFrance. 

The move is the latest development as schools have built NFL-style front offices to comply with the new era of college football. With NIL deals and revenue sharing making their way into the sport in recent years, executives such as Polk are needed to manage resources.

Other former NFL figures have also joined collegiate programs to help with this process. Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was hired as the general manager at Stanford earlier this year ,and former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera recently took a similar job at his alma mater, California.

Even former NFL head coach Bill Belichick has returned to school after being rejected by the Falcons last season, although he’ll serve in a traditional head coaching position at North Carolina.

Polk won’t have to deal with the salary cap mess that Kirk Cousins’ pending departure will create in Atlanta this spring, but he’ll stay busy as he helps the Gators adapt to the new landscape of college football.

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