Arkansas football redshirt sophomore linebacker Chris Paul Jr. became a fan favorite in 2022. After totaling 62 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks and one forced fumble on his path to being named to the Freshman All-SEC squad, expectations are high for Paul in 2023.
But before football season kicks off, learning about the players you love to watch is always a good idea — step in, Noah Washington.
Washington hosts 'The Ridin' Around Show,' a series in which he rides around Fayetteville in a vehicle with Razorback athletes while asking them questions — personal and football related.
His most recent episode was with Paul, who had much to say about himself, the upcoming football season and his time spent in Fayetteville.
The Nickname
One question fans have wanted the answer to was how Paul got his nickname, "Pooh."
"My parents, both of their nicknames when they were younger was Pooh," Paul said. "My grandads on both sides used to call them Pooh, so they gave it to me."
It wasn't until much later that people outside Paul's family discovered his nickname.
"One day, I was out there in a game and I had caught an interception and ran it back for a touchdown," Paul said. "My mom had a poster with my face on it and my nickname."
Learning from Older Players
Paul saw limited playing time during his freshman year and primarily came off the bench during his redshirt freshman season, though he did start the final two games when Bumper Pool's season was cut short due to hip surgery. During that time, Paul learned a lot from older players.
"Grant Morgan, Bumper Pool went off my freshman year," Paul said. "Once I sat down and saw how those guys maneuver and keep their bodies straight at an elite level, I'm just grasping things from them. Especially Drew Sanders."
Expectations
As previously mentioned, expectations are high for the Cordele, Georgia, native. Paul has his eyes set on being a team captain.
"That's the goal," Paul said. "I'm all about sitting back and being patient for things, but I've been putting an emphasis on leading by example and with my words. I feel like my teammates have a lot of respect for me."
Favorite Moment
The Razorbacks capped their 2022 season off with a wild triple-overtime Liberty Bowl victory over Kansas— a game Paul started in and enjoyed.
"My favorite highlight was the Liberty Bowl." Paul said. "It was so electric. The rings, I wish I could show y'all. We got the Outback Bowl ring too and that one is nice. We got a watch too. I wear it like a Rolex."
Gameday Traditions
Fans are a superstitious bunch, but players are even more so. Paul talked about his gameday traditions and how he always keeps them the same.
"So, if I don't do this before every game, I feel like I'll be off," Paul said. "I gotta have the same pair of socks every time. It's the short pair of white Nike socks. I did the same thing in high school."
New Defensive Staff
Arkansas added three new faces on the defensive coaching staff this offseason. Travis Williams is now defensive coordinator, Marcus Woodson serves as co-defensive coordinator and Deron Wilson is the secondary coach.
With a new defensive coaching staff comes new questions. For Paul, this wasn't much of a concern.
"Coach Williams, he recruited me out of high school," Paul said. "I already built that relationship with him. He always kept up with how I was doing with my pops."
Transfer Portal
In the transfer portal era, any player — even fan favorites — can elect to leave their school at any time. Paul never considered it, however.
"For some odd reason, some people had doubts I was about to enter the portal," Paul said. "I was like, 'Why? Who'd you hear that from?'"
One thing Paul points to for staying at Arkansas is the environment he experienced in his favorite win as a Razorback — Texas in 2021.
"That right there set the tone...I will never leave this school," Paul said. "Did you see we beat the Longhorns?"
Why Arkansas?
Every player has a reason for choosing the school they're attending. For Paul, the credit goes to head coach Sam Pittman.
"I had so much faith in him," Paul said. "I knew every single coach (on the staff). Just putting me in a position that I can thrive. I didn't even make a visit, as soon as Coach Pittman said he got the head coaching job, I committed."
On His Time in Fayetteville
Fayetteville is consistently named a top-10 place to live by U.S. News and World Report in the publication's magazine. Paul's thoughts about his time in the city match with that ranking.
"It's great, people here are cool and there's always something to do, especially because it's a college town," Paul said.
The Linebacker Postition
All players have someone they admire, and Paul is no exception. He learned the intricacies from watching former NFL players and he knows more about the linebacker position now because of that.
"Ray Lewis for sure, Patrick Willis," Paul said. "You really got to be smart. You got to know everything that's going on and why. They call linebackers the quarterback of the defense. I'm the one that has to give you the call and make sure you're lined up right."
2023 Defensive Expectations
The 2022 Arkansas defense was one of the worst in the SEC, and that group will need to turn things around to succeed in 2023. Paul said he isn't too worried about that.
"I'm not going to lie, people doubted our secondary last year, but they're in for a surprise this year," Paul said. "But defensive line and safety, it's going to be crazy. I've been practicing with these guys. I'm so exited for the season. They love football."
