Thursday, Feb. 6, 2003 | 11:16 a.m.
The witch's brew of realism and self-confidence cooked up by Chad Pool is one he can truly call his own.
Did he know that most Division I football programs will pass right over a 5-foot-9, 180-pound high school linebacker? Absolutely.
"These guys are bigger, stronger, faster and I totally understand that," Pool said. "But at the same time, it takes away from the smaller guys."
Not that the two-time Southern Nevada Defensive Player of the Year took anything away from himself. When the big-time colleges did not call, Pool and Las Vegas assistant Chris Faircloth went the aggressive route. They made a recruiting highlight tape over Christmas break and sent it out far and wide.
In the coming weeks, D-I coaches called, "but then they'd hear my size and they'd back off," Pool said.
Idaho coach Tom Cable did not back off. In fact, the Vandals saw Pool's tape and fell in love with his passion and enthusiasm. They called Pool in January, and two days later, without seeing Pool in person, offered him a scholarship.
Score one for the little guy.
"This was a chance for us to get a guy, regardless of his size, who's going to make an impact," Cable said.
Pool signed his national letter of intent Wednesday with the Vandals, securing a dream that so many around him -- even his greatest supporters -- thought was impossible when he began his high school career.
"We got him as a sophomore and we knew he was special," Las Vegas coach Kris Cinkovich said. "But I didn't think anyone was going to recruit him."
Though it took Cable -- an acquaintance of Cinkovich from their days with UNLV football -- some time to find Pool, the Idaho coach now raves about his new player as one of the best in the Vandals' recruiting class.
"He is a special, special guy on the football field," Cable said. "You don't find passion like that too many times. Usually, they're going to Tennessee or Washington."
Ever the realist, Pool knew such schools would not be options. Ever confident, he refused to take the small school and junior college offers that came his way earlier this year because he refused to relinquish the dream of playing at the Division I level.
"I always thought I was good enough to play D-I," Pool said. "I'm just happy someone had the faith in me, gave me the chance."
Pool solidified Cable's faith on his recruiting visit to Moscow, Idaho, in an appropriate manner for the selfless player. Unprompted, Pool sought out special teams coach Gary Coston and told him that he wanted to lead the unit in tackles -- next season.
"I do not think there's any way he won't play next year as a true freshman," Cable said.
Cinkovich, consistently one of Pool's biggest supporters, left the recruiting process impressed with Cable.
"I respect him even more now because they don't look at the tape measure," Cinkovich said. "They looked at a football player, and they got one."
Cable is not done with the tape measure just yet, however. The coach would like Pool to add 20-25 pounds before fall practice, and Cable admits that the Vandals will need to hide Pool in some defensive formations because of his size.
Pool says he is up to the task. He recently returned to weightlifting sessions, and Cinkovich said that with Pool's past shoulder troubles behind him, that lifting can be taken to more intense levels. Pool will need the extra muscle, with the way Cable is talking about using him immediately.
"There's just so many places he can play," Cable said.
Now, against the odds, the Division I level is one of them.
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