Ole Miss linebacker ‘Pooh’ Paul intends to leave a positive, winning mark on the program

At 6-foot-1, 235 pounds you would think Ole Miss junior linebacker Chris Paul, Jr.’ s nickname would be Bruiser or Rocky or something masculine and macho like Hulk.

His Mom, Dad and six older sisters, though, made sure he got stuck with a moniker that doesn’t match him physically, but after you talk to him you understand where it came from and how it fits his personality.

‘Pooh’ – as in Winnie – is polite, well-mannered, thoughtful, spiritual and introspective. That he also happens to be one of the best linebackers in the country is a byproduct of those qualities.

Pooh has already made a mark on the Ole Miss football team and he’s only been in Oxford since January.

“I feel like I did pretty good this spring. I got to know my teammates better and I learned a lot about coach (Pete) Golding’s defense,” said the transfer from Arkansas. “My parents taught me that everything you get in life you have to earn with hard work, so that’s what I did.

“I came to Ole Miss with a mindset of working hard and earning a spot.”

Not only did Paul “earn a spot” in the linebacker rotation, at the very least, he has quickly taken on some leadership roles as well.

“I want to be a guy my team can lean on when the going gets tough,” Paul noted. “I just came in and applied the basic principles that my parents taught me and what I have learned in football about the importance of leadership, and everything has worked out so far for me at Ole Miss.

“I had to learn a new scheme and I worked my butt off, but once I got comfortable with the system and the guys around me, things started falling in place for me.”

Pooh and fellow linebacker T.J. Dudley , a transfer from Clemson who was at Ole Miss in 2023 but not eligible until the bowl game win over Penn State, have become close and together they formed a dynamic duo in spring drills.

“T.J. is a freak athlete. He’s an awesome linebacker. He takes pride in his craft. He and I watch a lot of film together and try and correct mistakes or whatever,” Paul noted. “He and I have the same mindset – we are going to do whatever we have to for this team to win big and to keep the momentum going.

“But the whole linebacker room is like that. For one reason or another, we all feel we have something to prove and we are all willing to go above and beyond to win.”

Related: Ole Miss’ linebackers look to be more physical than the past several seasons

An area on the Ole Miss defense that also gives Paul confidence are the guys in front of him on the defensive line.

“Those guys are going to open up a lot of gaps for the linebackers to run free. I’m very confident in them,” he continued, “but they will also go make plays on their own as well. Watching the veterans who were already here and the portal guys gel has been fun.”

Chis believes he is on schedule as far as learning the Ole Miss defensive system, but he understands he has work to do in the summer.

“We will put in more things in fall camp, but so far I think I have picked up everything pretty good. It’s a work in progress though,” he explained. “I’m on time with everything but I’ve got work to do this summer.

“This summer I am going to work on everything. I am going to work my butt off to get in the best shape I can be in, but I am also going to dive deeper into my faith with God and my spirituality. I’m going to be digging deep into everything about myself to be the best I can be because this is an important season for me and for this team. We all know that so to give less than everything I have would be a big mistake that I’m not going to make.”

As you can see, Chris Paul has definable, tangible goals and the background and foundation to reach those goals, but in closing let’s get back to that nickname.

“Having six older sisters and a younger brother, I am the first boy in the family,” Paul, who was the second leading tackler for the Hogs last season with 74, said. “Only my family and close friends called me Pooh, but one time I was on a travel team and my parents and siblings showed up with signs and face-painting with my nickname.

“I made a game-winning interception and my Mom held up a big poster of my face with Pooh written across it. It was over then,” he laughed. “Everyone started calling me Pooh then and it grew on me. Even my teachers and coaches called me Pooh. Now, I like when people call me Pooh. My teammates here are already calling me that. I love it.”

Make no mistake, when the Ole Miss coaching staff added ‘Pooh’ Paul to the linebacker room, they added a major piece to a potential championship run.

And when the Rebels hold up a trophy or two, Paul will be in the middle of the celebration.

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