Ole Miss LB Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul Jr ‘infuriated’ Rebels gave up first TD; Says Ole Miss has something to prove in SEC play
OXFORD, Miss. – Following Saturday night’s 52-13 victory over Georgia Southern, Ole Miss linebacker Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul Jr. talked about his performance in the game, the Rebel defense and the SEC-opener against Kentucky.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Paul Jr. is the highest-graded linebacker in all of college football after his performance against the Eagles on Saturday.
Most IMPACT plays among SEC LBs ahead of WK5:
1. C. Paul Jr, OMiss: 36
2. D. Stutsman, OU: 24
3. W. Weeks, LSU: 23
4. J. Campbell, Bama: 20
5. L. Patterson, Vandy: 18
5. X. Sorey, Ark: 18
7. D. Lawson, Bama: 17
8. A. Hill Jr, TX: 16
9. D. Williams, SC: 16
10. D. Jackson, UK: 15— Clark Brooks (@SEC_StatCat) September 23, 2024
The senior commented on how he is feeling after four weeks of football.
“I feel like I have reached the standard our defense laid out when I got here; fast and physical is our motto. I feel like I am trying to uphold that standard when I am out there on the field, each and every play.“
~ Paul Jr. on his performance Saturday night
Pooh Paul.
Pin the ears back and go. Shot out of a cannon. That’s how he plays and it’s fun to watch.
— T.J. (@TJOxley1) September 3, 2024
Paul Jr. started his first game of the 2024 season this past weekend, moving into the starting lineup in place of linebacker TJ Dottery who sat out due to injury. Paul Jr. took full advantage of the opportunity, leading the team with 10 tackles on the night along with a pair of tackles for loss and one-and-a-half sacks.
Prior to Paul Jr. stepping to the podium after Saturday’s win, his head coach Lane Kiffin discussed how the Arkansas transfer is just a great gameday player who shows up when you need him.
The Rebel linebacker commented on why that is the case.
“I’ve said in previous interviews, I just come out there and play every play like it’s my last. You know when it’s the last down that you play…I just go out there and put my all on the line each and every day to show the fans how hard I work as well as give my coaches the confidence to lean on me.”
~ Paul Jr. on being a ‘gameday player’
Saturday night the Rebel defense gave up something that had not been allowed yet through 13 quarters of play in 2024: a touchdown. Despite outscoring their opponents 220-22 thus far this season, Paul Jr. explained why he was angered his unit let Georgia Southern reach the end zone.
“It really infuriated us, because that is not our standard, that’s not how we play. We feel like we are better than that…When I got to that sideline, I could just really see that it hit everybody (giving up a TD) and fired us up even more. Like I said earlier, that’s not our standard. That’s not how we play. We play fast and physical, and we have to uphold that standard each and every time.”
~ Paul Jr. on being ‘infuriated’ with giving up a touchdown
Immediately following scoring the first touchdown on the Rebel defense in 2024, Georgia Southern recovered an onside kick, bringing the Landshark defense right back onto the gridiron. As Paul Jr. claimed, the defense was mad, but the mindset went right back to ‘fast and physical’ once the next opportunity came along.
“It’s all about what you do in the eyes of adversity. There’s gonna be times you have sudden changes, there’s gonna be times the offense needs to lean on us just like we will need to lean on them sometimes…Coach Kiffin always says: ‘E plus R equals O’; an event will occur and it’s the response that determines your outcome. So, we went out there and played like it was our last, we gave it our all.“
~ Paul Jr. on responding after the touchdown
Just want to say that Pooh Paul is the heart and soul of the Ole Miss defense this season. The kid has got a non-stop motor and never give up attitude. Absolute terror for any offense. Great job @PoohPaul4 . Keep it up!
— FloridaReb (@cardiacarrest84) September 22, 2024
The Ole Miss defense has been the center of attention when questions are brought up as to whether the Rebels are elite or not. Now with the opportunity upon them, Paul Jr. explains why he believes the Rebels have something to prove in SEC play.
“Honestly I do (believe there is something to prove), but we can do that by doing what we have been coached to do. Just doing our assignments, locking in on keys and just going out there playing hard each and every day,” the linebacker said.
Up Next
Paul Jr. and the Rebel football team are continuing their week of game prep as they open SEC play this Saturday. On Sept. 28th at 11 a.m. CT, No. 6 Ole Miss will host Homecoming in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium as they take on the Kentucky Wildcats.
Kameron Wicker
Kam is an undergraduate at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he’s from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn’t stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He’s a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.
