Arkansas fifth-year senior linebacker Bumper Pool is way past the point of having a distinct name.
Though it's still quite the conversation piece.
"Absolutely it is," a smiling Pool said last week at the Southeastern Conference's media days event in Atlanta. "Whenever I go out and I'm trying to talk to somebody, I'm having to pull out my ID to show them what my name is."
The 6-foot-2, 232-pounder from Lucas, Texas, had the birth name James Morris Pool but has been called "Bumper" ever since he was in diapers. At the age of 16, after receiving permission from his parents, he legally changed his name to Bumper James Morris Pool.
Despite Bumper Pool being his given name throughout his time in Fayetteville, introductions can still be adventurous.
"I considered that to be his name because everybody called him that," Razorbacks redshirt junior safety Jalen Catalon said, "but I was like, 'That can't be his government name.' When I found out it was, I was like, 'Wow. OK. You've picked a good name.'
"That's one of the best names in college football, in my opinion, and that's my guy and my dude."
Pool is beloved by Arkansas fans and teammates alike after compiling 320 tackles the past three years and earning All-SEC second-team status the past two. His 125 stops last season ranked third in the league behind LSU's Damone Clark (135) and Tennessee's Jeremy Banks (128).
The 9.62 tackles per game that Pool averaged a year ago ranked third in the SEC as well.
"He's a great leader and a great kid," Razorbacks third-year coach Sam Pittman said. "I believe that if he stays healthy, he'll be the all-time leading tackler in the history of the University of Arkansas."
Pool's 349 career tackles are ninth in program history, but another 60 stops would allow him to pass linebacker/safety Tony Bua (2000-03) as the top Hog.
"It would be awesome," Pool said of setting the tackles standard. "I've just always prided myself in playing as hard as I could and giving everything I have. If that comes with it, then I would be extremely honored and humbled to be able to have that."
ARKANSAS
Last season: 9-4 (4-4 SEC) Opener: Sept. 3 vs. Cincinnati in Fayetteville (3:30 p.m. on ESPN) Fun fact: Arkansas won more games last season (nine) than in the previous three years combined (seven). Up next: Auburn
While the return of quarterback K.J. Jefferson and the challenge of replacing receiver Treylon Burks, who was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the 18th overall selection, are the top Arkansas storylines entering preseason camp, there is certainly comfort in third-year defensive coordinator Barry Odom. The former Missouri head coach directed a Hogs unit that finished sixth within the league a year ago in points allowed and third in turnover margin and in third-down situations.
In mammoth victories over Texas A&M, LSU and Penn State in the Outback Bowl, none of those foes reached 14 points.
"Barry Odom is a very, very key part of our success, especially because he has helped me and still helps me," Pittman said. "I'm a work in progress, and he helps me with head coaching responsibilities. I bounce everything off of him still to this day, and he is one of the most loyal, wonderful people that there is in the country."
Said Pool: "I think he's going to want us to try and be a lot more aggressive this year, and I think we have a lot more talent to where we can do that. I feel like we've got the guys on the edge and that we've got the corners to play man coverage to be more aggressive."
In going 9-4 last season, the Razorbacks won their most games since Bobby Petrino's fourth and final team in 2011 capped an 11-2 record with a Cotton Bowl win over Kansas State. Pool arrived in 2018 on the heels of Bret Bielema being fired following five up-and-down seasons, and Chad Morris never got the program reignited, as Arkansas failed to win a league game in 2018 and again in 2019.
The SEC losing streak reached 20 games when Arkansas opened its 2020 season with a 37-10 loss to Georgia, but the Razorbacks ended their futility the following week with a 21-14 upset of Mississippi State.
"I feel like once we got our win against Mississippi State and got an SEC win, the mindset was that we were good enough to win in the SEC and that this can happen," Pool said. "Once you get one, I feel like it just opens up the door for so much."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.