Jim Wyatt

NAS

Pollard has invented a gadget for sinks.

Pollard is thinking about his post-football career.

Bernard Pollard's nickname -- "The Bonecrusher" – dates back to his college days.

Since, the hard-hitting Titans safety has picked up monikers such as "Crushboy" and "The Patriot Killer," both in reference to his playing style on the football field. He's been called other things, of course, that aren't suitable for print.

Now, you can add another: Entrepreneur.

It fits, but the product he invented might surprise you.

"Style Pro 31," is the creation of Pollard, who's headed into his ninth NFL season. It's a portable tray that fits in most sinks, and is designed to help alleviate the clutter while creating more space. Pollard said he got the idea a few years back after hearing women talk about space issues around the bathroom sink. (Surely you didn't think it came to him in a locker room).

He went to work drawing up sketches, until the perfect one sunk in. And it just recently went on sale at stylepro31.com.

"It is truly a blessing to see this come to fruition,'' Pollard said. "Patients at hospitals, people in hotels and apartments, students in dorms, people on cruise ships who need more space around the sink. … I just want this product to assist people and I think it can."

The creation, of course, has opened Pollard up for plenty of good-natured ribbing from his teammates, however.

"You hear Bernard talk and he can sound barbaric, like a gladiator, in interviews. And you see how he plays on the field. For someone to come off as such a tough guy, to come up with a product for women,'' safety Michael Griffin said with a smile. "But, hey, I applaud him for thinking outside the box and going for it. It's actually a great idea."

Griffin, in fact, bought one for his fiancé. The product, which fits over the sink and allows objects to be placed directly on it, also allows use of the water. It sells for $39.99. Already there's a Facebook page, with roughly 1,000 likes.

Stephanie Sturges, who's from Atlanta, bought one for herself, and her mom. She said it's given her more space for her hair dryer, and curling iron, among other items.

"I was very much surprised that a man created this,'' she said. "You'd think something that is geared toward fashion and beauty, you'd think a woman would come through with that idea. So for Bernard to come through with this idea … it's impressive. It's innovative."

So has Pollard, who led the Titans in tackles last season, gone soft?

Hardly.

His venomous side quickly resurfaced when asked about what the product is made of during the course of an interview. "It's a heat-resistant plastic,'' he said. "If I told you every detail about it, I'd have to kill you."

Pollard, who majored in sociology at Purdue, said he's serious about anything he dives into, whether it's on the field or off it.

"Guys mess around with me, they kid me about it,'' he said. "But at the end of the day I have to do something more than just play football. I know my window is closing. So it is a fun thing we mess around with, but they know I am passionate about what I do."

Pollard didn't necessarily stumble across the idea by accident.

Over the years he's regularly watched Shark Tank, a reality television show starring billionaire Mark Cuban that features a panel of potential investors who consider offers from aspiring entrepreneurs seeking investments for their business or product. The show has opened up his thought process even more, he said.

After finalizing a design for "Style Pro 31," Pollard, who wears No.31, said he got the idea patented and trademarked.

And while he said he has some other ideas in mind, he's going to put those on hold until his playing career is over. Pollard is set to begin his second season with the Titans after playing previously in Houston, Kansas City and Baltimore.

"I would have to call myself an entrepreneur. I have my own company, my own product out,'' Pollard said. "And I encourage all NFL players to get out there and try something new.

"I love football, but I want to show people I can do something other than play the game of football. At the end of the day I know football is not going to be here for the rest of my life. So I try and get into things I have a passion for, that I can create and that I can do, and this is one of them."

Reach Jim Wyatt at 259-8015 or on Twitter @jwyattsports