Ole Miss LB 'Pooh' Paul Reveals Origin of Iconic Nickname

Ole Miss Rebels linebacker Chris "Pooh" Paul Jr. gave the origin story of his defining nickname on Thursday.

Ole Miss Rebels linebacker Chris "Pooh" Paul Jr. / Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss Rebels linebacker Chris Paul Jr. is more likely to respond to "Pooh" than his actual name. That's the moniker he prefers anyway.

Following another installment of spring practice on Thursday, Paul revealed the story behind his iconic nickname, and it's a tale that begins during his younger days of playing football.

"Both my parents' nicknames were 'Pooh' when they were younger," Paul said. "I was the first boy--six older sisters and one younger brother--so, y'all can imagine how crazy it was in that household. Nobody really knew my nickname until I played for this travel ball team when I was younger, and I caught an interception to win a game, and my mom had gotten these jackets with my face painted on them.

"She had a 3D cutout of my head with my nickname on the bottom of it. She starts screaming, jumping over the gate, holding the sign up, and everybody could see who I was. Once I got older, it started growing on me, and that's my identity now."

Mother's pride aside, Paul has already established an "identity" as one of the top linebackers in the Southeastern Conference, and he is expected to add a big boost to Pete Golding's defense in Oxford this season.

A former presence with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Paul suited up in 28 games with his former school, registering 138 total tackles and six sacks so far in his collegiate career. Along with Ole Miss, he held offers from other notable schools such as the TCU Horned Frogs, Auburn Tigers, Missouri Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, and Texas A&M Aggies before pulling the trigger and landing in Oxford.

Paul himself has also not been shy about his expectations for the coming season, recently sharing a post on X that featured a quote from Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke that said his mindset for the coming season was "Natty or bust." Those are the aspirations at Ole Miss for newcomers and returners alike this fall.

"Great minds think alike," Paul wrote on X while tagging Ole Miss football and Pro Football Focus along with the hashtag #SpotTheBall.

Ole Miss will continue through spring drills until they reach their conclusion with the 2024 Grove Bowl spring game on April 13. The Rebels' regular season will open on Aug. 31 at home against the Furman Paladins.