Arkansas fifth-year senior linebacker Bumper Pool is well past the purpose of getting a definite identify.
Although it is nonetheless fairly the dialog piece.
“Completely it’s,” a smiling Pool mentioned final week on the Southeastern Convention’s media days occasion in Atlanta. “At any time when I’m going out and I am making an attempt to speak to any person, I am having to drag out my ID to indicate them what my identify is.”
The 6-foot-2, 232-pounder from Lucas, Texas, had the start identify James Morris Pool however has been referred to as “Bumper” ever since he was in diapers. On the age of 16, after receiving permission from his mother and father, he legally modified his identify to Bumper James Morris Pool.
Regardless of Bumper Pool being his given identify all through his time in Fayetteville, introductions can nonetheless be adventurous.
“I thought of that to be his identify as a result of all people referred to as him that,” Razorbacks redshirt junior security Jalen Catalon mentioned, “however I used to be like, ‘That may’t be his authorities identify.’ After I came upon it was, I used to be like, ‘Wow. OK. You’ve got picked identify.’
“That is among the best names in faculty soccer, for my part, and that is my man and my dude.”
Pool is beloved by Arkansas followers and teammates alike after compiling 320 tackles the previous three years and incomes All-SEC second-team standing the previous two. His 125 stops final season ranked third within the league behind LSU’s Damone Clark (135) and Tennessee’s Jeremy Banks (128).
The 9.62 tackles per recreation that Pool averaged a 12 months in the past ranked third within the SEC as effectively.
“He is an excellent chief and an excellent child,” Razorbacks third-year coach Sam Pittman mentioned. “I consider that if he stays wholesome, he’ll be the all-time main tackler within the historical past of the College of Arkansas.”
Pool’s 349 profession tackles are ninth in program historical past, however one other 60 stops would permit him to move linebacker/security Tony Bua (2000-03) as the highest Hog.
“It might be superior,” Pool mentioned of setting the tackles commonplace. “I’ve simply at all times prided myself in enjoying as arduous as I might and giving all the things I’ve. If that comes with it, then I’d be extraordinarily honored and humbled to have the ability to have that.”
ARKANSAS
Final season: 9-4 (4-4 SEC)
Opener: Sept. 3 vs. Cincinnati in Fayetteville (3:30 p.m. on ESPN)
Enjoyable truth: Arkansas gained extra video games final season (9) than within the earlier three years mixed (seven).
Up subsequent: Auburn
Whereas the return of quarterback Ok.J. Jefferson and the problem of changing receiver Treylon Burks, who was drafted by the Tennessee Titans because the 18th total choice, are the highest Arkansas storylines coming into preseason camp, there’s actually consolation in third-year defensive coordinator Barry Odom. The previous Missouri head coach directed a Hogs unit that completed sixth throughout the league a 12 months in the past in factors allowed and third in turnover margin and in third-down conditions.
In mammoth victories over Texas A&M, LSU and Penn State within the Outback Bowl, none of these foes reached 14 factors.
“Barry Odom is a really, very key a part of our success, particularly as a result of he has helped me and nonetheless helps me,” Pittman mentioned. “I am a piece in progress, and he helps me with head teaching tasks. I bounce all the things off of him nonetheless to this present day, and he is among the most loyal, fantastic folks that there’s within the nation.”
Mentioned Pool: “I believe he’ll need us to try to be much more aggressive this 12 months, and I believe we’ve got much more expertise to the place we are able to do this. I really feel like we have got the blokes on the sting and that we have got the corners to play man protection to be extra aggressive.”
In going 9-4 final season, the Razorbacks gained their most video games since Bobby Petrino’s fourth and closing group in 2011 capped an 11-2 file with a Cotton Bowl win over Kansas State. Pool arrived in 2018 on the heels of Bret Bielema being fired following 5 up-and-down seasons, and Chad Morris by no means obtained this system reignited, as Arkansas did not win a league recreation in 2018 and once more in 2019.
The SEC shedding streak reached 20 video games when Arkansas opened its 2020 season with a 37-10 loss to Georgia, however the Razorbacks ended their futility the next week with a 21-14 upset of Mississippi State.
“I really feel like as soon as we obtained our win in opposition to Mississippi State and obtained an SEC win, the mindset was that we had been adequate to win within the SEC and that this will occur,” Pool mentioned. “When you get one, I really feel prefer it simply opens up the door for a lot.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.