LAWRENCE, Kan. — The halls of Allen Fieldhouse are hallowed for Kansas basketball fans.
Names of Lawrence legends line the walls with plaques of former players who left their legacy while playing in a Jayhawk jersey.
One of those Jayhawks from the past is Scot Pollard.
"It's such a special place," Pollard said. "Wilt [Chamberlain] breathed air in there. I'd walk into practice and I'd sniff and go, 'Mmm, original air.'"
The Phog will always hold a special place in Pollard's heart — even if the heart he has now isn't the same one that beat in his chest during his days playing at KU.
On Feb. 16, 2024, after years of dealing with cardiomyopathy, a type of heart disease that affects the organ's ability to properly pump blood, Pollard received a life-saving heart transplant.
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"I'm alive because of other people," Pollard said.
He's alive because of his angel, a Texas man named Casey Angell whose heart is now the one that's beating in Pollard's chest.
"I have forced Casey's heart to embrace the KU Jayhawks, and so yes, this heart still beats crimson and blue," Pollard said.
On March 1, 2025, Pollard made his first trip to Allen Fieldhouse since his transplant to watch Kansas play Texas Tech.
"While it's not Kansas basketball's greatest season ever, it is still much better than most programs get to enjoy," Pollard said.
A homecoming on 3-1 for the man who wore No. 31 at Kansas, the number Pollard picked in honor of his father Pearl who passed away in 1991 with cardiomyopathy, the same disease Scot inherited.
Pollard's professional basketball career reached its final buzzer many years ago, but now he's found his new purpose — helping others get involved in organ donation so people just like him can receive a new lease on life and find their own angel.
"I'm here because of technology, because of the risk takers, because people have decided to push the boundaries of medicine and procedures," Pollard said.
Pollard's wife, Dawn, has since launched a nonprofit called Pearls of Life. The organization's mission is to raise donor awareness.
If you'd like to donate to their organization, you can do so here.
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