Inside The Huskies

Polk Makes First NFL TD Catch Against Seahawks

The former Husky receiver scores game's initial points.

Dan Raley

Former Husky Ja'Lynn Polk warms up for the Seattle Seahawks before catching a TD pass.
Former Husky Ja'Lynn Polk warms up for the Seattle Seahawks before catching a TD pass. / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Seattle has been very good to Ja'Lynn Polk, providing the wide receiver with a University of Washington football career and a platform to showcase his talents and become a second-round NFL draft pick.

On Sunday, Polk came up with his first pro football touchdown on a 5-yard reception to open the scoring for the New England Patriots against the team from his adopted city, the Seattle Seahawks. He later caught a 7-yard pass in the fourth quarter of a game the Patriots would lose 23-20 in overtime.

Polk became the second of the UW's three high-profile receivers from 2023 to catch a scoring pass as a rookie, joining former teammate Jalen McMillan, who had a 32-yard touchdown reception for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers season opener last week against the Washington Commanders.

Only Rome Odunze, who was questionable this week for the Chicago Bears with a knee sprain, hasn't scored among them as an NFL player.

Polk put the Patriots on the scoreboard by getting open in the back of the end zone on a second-and-goal play and latching onto a Jacoby Brissett pass. The play capped an 8-play, 60-yard drive in the opening quarter.

The native Texan transferred to the UW in 2021 after spending his freshman year at Texas Tech, only to miss most of that Husky season after breaking his collarbone in the opener against Montana.

Polk caught 41 and 69 passes the past two years for the UW, totaling 1,853 yards and 15 scores in that time. He drew a lot of attention to himself by catching 5 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown against Texas in the Sugar Bowl and CFP national semifinals, a game the Huskies won 37-31.

The Patriots no doubt were impressed with him, selecting Polk with the 37th overall draft pick three months later.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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