As Ole Miss LB ‘Pooh’ Paul prepares for return to Fayetteville, he talks faith, family, and season outlook for Rebels
OXFORD, Miss. – Chris “Pooh” Paul is one of 25 players who transferred to Ole Miss in the offseason, spending the first three years of his college career at Arkansas. Paul officially entered the portal on December 4, 2023, committing four days later on December 8. Though plenty of factors went into his commitment, his faith, family and the Ole Miss coaching staff made the decision easy for the linebacker.
Coach Kiffin on Pooh Paul: “He’s awesome. He’s such a cool kid, old-school player. Just how he practices, how much he cares…(for example) we held LSU to a field goal and he came off yelling ‘that’s too much, we should have held them (to no score)….'”
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) October 30, 2024
“I sat down with my parents, and as everyone knows, I’m high on my faith… I had to sit down and just ask God to lead me in the correct direction, and once I got here, I could feel the team atmosphere, but most importantly, I could see the goals of those guys… Just getting around guys like (Jaxson) Dart, Jared Ivey, JJ Pegues, and other factors on the team, I was just getting around those guys and seeing how they operate. You know I felt at home here… Coach Kiffin and Coach Golding did a great job reassuring my parents that everything would be ok.“
– Paul on transferring to Ole Miss
Since arriving in the ‘Sip, Paul has led the team in tackles with 57 and is the highest-graded linebacker in the country, posting a 90.9 PFF grade. The junior has also notched 2.5 sacks and three pass deflections.
In addition to his on-field success, Paul’s been blessed with the opportunity of raising his daughter Laya, who is roughly five months old. On the show, Finebaum asked Pooh if he believed her first words would be ‘Hotty Toddy,’ and Pooh’s response was exactly what you’d imagine.
“No doubt, no doubt. I said I’d be satisfied if her first words were ‘Hotty Toddy’ and her next words be ‘DaDa,'” Paul said smiling
Pooh went farther, speaking on the importance of his daughter’s presence in his life.
“It’s amazing, man. Like I always tell everyone, that’s a blessing. It’s a blessing to come home after long days and just see her smiling, no matter good or bad. I come in the house, and she’s got this big grin on her face, that just brings me up every time, and it melts my heart every single time because I got somebody who I’m working for. I have a bigger why than myself that I’m playing for on Saturday… when things get tough, I take that into consideration, and I think about her.“
– Paul on raising his daughter
This Saturday, Paul will have another opportunity to play for Laya at the school where he began his college career. Pooh says that even after transferring, he’s still maintained a variety of relationships with the Razorback players, creating a unique environment on Saturday.
“I’m really excited to get out with those guys and go out there with a hard-fought battle. Just seeing those guys again, in between the lines on the gridiron is football man, we’re here to take care of the business aspects of things. But outside, like I always said, I created bonds that can never be broken that I’ll never forget. I still talk to some of those guys, so that bond will never fade… I just thank God for the position I’m in, I’m excited for Saturday.“
– Paul on facing his former team
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman on Pooh Paul: “We’ve always known he can run. He’s running side to side, tackling very well. Looks like one of their leaders on defense. Doing exactly what I thought he would do when he entered the transfer portal….be a really fine player for…
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) October 30, 2024
Having two losses, Ole Miss will need to do everything it can to win this game and keep playoff hopes alive for another week. Despite the pressure, Paul firmly believes that the Rebs control their destiny and are in the best position possible to try and finish the season on a high note.
“Honestly, man, I think it’s fairly simple, just go 1-0 each week. Just go out there, showcase for the fans as well as our coaching staff and ourselves with all of the hard work that we put in, not just the week of preparation, but, during the spring, during those hard summer workouts, fall camp. Just diving deep into each other and pulling things out of each other, that’s going to help us play to the best of our ability on Saturday. As long as we do that for the remainder of the season, we can be successful.“
– Paul on the season outlook
Ole Miss will take on Arkansas at 11 a.m. in Fayetteville this Saturday on ESPN. As always, Hotty Toddy and go Rebs!
