On a very talented defensive unit, Pool was the unquestioned leader of the Sooners secondary. Called the best defensive back in the Big 12 Conference since former Oklahoma safety Roy Williams terrorized opponents, Pool is a playmaker who must be accounted for on every play.

Pool ranked among the top defensive backs in the country by several recruiting services coming out of Westbury (Houston, Texas) High School, where he competed as a free safety and running back. He recorded 75 tackles and 11 interceptions as a senior and made 114 stops and four interceptions during his junior year. Pool also rushed for 159 yards on 40 attempts with two touchdowns and caught three passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns in his final campaign. He also competed in track.

The son of Robert Pool and Rose Brimmer, his father played football at Texas A&I and his mother is the athletic director at Westbury High. Pool saw action in every game as a true freshman at Oklahoma. He appeared mostly on special teams in 2002, collecting 11 tackles (7 solos) with a stop for a loss. Pool took over the starting free safety position the following year, ranking 11th in the nation with seven interceptions. He also totaled 68 tackles (41 solos) with two sacks, nine stops behind the line of scrimmage and six pass deflections.

The Associated Press All-Big 12 choice recorded a career-high 85 tackles (59 solos) with four stops for losses, two interceptions and nine pass breakups as a junior in 2004. In 39 games with the Sooners, Pool registered 171 tackles (113 solos) with two sacks for minus-14 yards and 15 stops for losses of 40 yards. He deflected 15 passes and gained 121 yards on nine interception returns and also caused two fumbles.

ANALYSIS

Positives: Well-built athlete with long arms, defined chest and arms, thin waist, good bubble and knotted calves … Very sharp breaking-down plays and does a good job of calling adjustments in the secondary … Smooth, efficient mover with a good burst to make plays in pursuit … Quick-twitch type with excellent range and above-average acceleration … Disguises well and is smart enough to make quick reads and diagnose the play … Rarely bites on play action or gets caught peeking into the backfield … Has a good nose for the ball and takes good angles to close on the receiver … Shows a good second gear when chasing down plays along the sidelines … Makes plays on the ball in flight, showing adequate leaping ability … Gears down and delivers effective tackles in run force … Stays up and on his feet in pursuit of the ball carrier and has enough strength to play close to the line of scrimmage … Best when breaking on the ball in front of him … Has a good feel in zone coverage, doing a very good job of playing and holding up the tight ends when working underneath … Does a much better job of reading the quarterback and making adjustments when working in the deep zone than in one-on-one confrontations … Has adequate hands and is effective at using them to press and reroute tight ends in the short area … Delivers good hits, but is more explosive than strong … Times his leaps properly to deflect the pass, but also looks natural extending for the ball in attempts to intercept.

Negatives: While he shows good strength, he is not the type that can get physical or punish an opponent … Needs to add more bulk and strength to his frame … Decent wrapup tackler, but lacks explosion behind his hits … Not really a guided missile on the field and is not one who can force a lot of fumbles … His high backpedal and high-cut frame prevents him from turning fluidly to mirror receivers in man coverage … Struggles vs. receivers' double moves due to some hip stiffness … Lacks the change-of-direction agility to cover receivers in man coverage due to tightness in transition … Can turn out of his backpedal, but gets into trouble when he loses mirror with the receiver, resulting in him taking poor angles in attempts to recover … Has adequate hands for the interception, but needs to time his leaps better as he does not always get to the ball at its high point … Good tackler, but is more of a grabber who will revert to arm tackles when he does not get a good angle on the ball in pursuit

AGILITY

4.52 in the 40-yard dash … 355-pound bench press … 475-pound squat … 33-inch vertical jump … 32 7/8-inch arm length … 9 5/8-inch hands.

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended Westbury (Houston, Texas) High School, playing football for coach George Campbell … Ranked among the top defensive backs in the country by most recruiting services … Played free safety and running back … Had a solid senior season with 75 tackles and 11 interceptions … Made 114 stops and four interceptions during his junior year … Rushed for 159 yards on 40 attempts with two touchdowns and caught three passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns as a senior … Also lettered in track.

PERSONAL

Sociology major … Father, Robert, played football at Texas A&I … Mother, Rose Brimmer, is the Westbury High athletic director … Born May 24, 1984 … Resides in Houston, Texas.