azdad1978
Championship!!!!
While most players may have hoped for an extra day off on Sunday before the grind of the regular season began, wide receiver Nate Poole couldn’t wait to practice. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of college, Poole has spent the last three years going through the up-and-down roller coaster ride of being released following training camp only to re-sign with the team later down the road when injuries decimated the receiving corps. This time around, Poole completed his fourth training camp and earned his way onto the 53-man roster.
“I was so happy to practice on Sunday, I mean, it was the first time in 3 years that I got to practice on that day,” gushed Poole. “In the past, I was already on my way home to North Carolina, so it feels great.”
Instead of being the contingency plan, Poole has finally taken center stage among the Cardinals receivers.
“I’m so happy for him just to be around and be part of this thing because he always is at the end of the year, so it is nice he’s finally getting to start out with us,” said quarterback Josh McCown. “I’ve always thought he has great hands and a great knack for catching the football. I enjoy throwing to him and I have a great deal of confidence in him.”
McCown has always been one of Poole’s faithful supporters, but finally that confidence has also spread to the coaching staff.
“I know Coach wants me here and that is a big difference,” explained Poole. “In the previous camps, they started shying away from me but they want me here and they’ve explained a lot of stuff to me and it just feels good.”
Poole’s engaging personality, his reliability, and his dedication have earned the respect of his teammates, and his own cheering section.
“I was walking through the locker room on Sunday and sort of waiting to see if I was going to get called upstairs and told to go home, but I didn’t, and it just felt like there were a lot of guys around here really happy and worried for me and I appreciated that.”
It is hard not to pull for Poole. Despite being cut 4 times by the Cardinals, he has returned every time with a positive attitude and a willingness to pitch in. In 2002, he even left his job at a children’s home in North Carolina to return to the Cards midway through the season to bolster the injury-plagued receiving corps. He often returns to visit those kids and make sure they are staying on the right path, and is one of the first to volunteer for community activities in the Phoenix area.
“I love working with kids,” shared Poole. “I grew up with my parents and seven siblings in a two-bedroom apartment until I was 16, and we were always told never to give up. You let the man upstairs make decisions and you just keep working and that’s what I’ve tried to do. I hope that my example can help younger kids set their goals.”
Besides being one of the most well-liked players in the locker room, Poole became the unlikely hero with his 28-yard touchdown grab as time expired to knock Minnesota out of the playoffs in the season final. His catch and the win handed the Packers the first-round berth, making him a household name in Green Bay, and giving the Cardinals something to celebrate in an otherwise dismal 4-12 season.
“I love having Nate on the field. I feel comfortable with him and when the lights are on he’s going to make plays,” said McCown of the type of catches Poole’s is capable of bringing down.
This year, Poole is expecting a lot more than just big plays.
“No incompletions thrown my way,” listed Poole for his goal this season. “I want every ball thrown my way to be a catch.”
Chrissy Mauck, azcardinals.com
http://www.azcardinals.com/press/pressdetails.php?sid=2188
“I was so happy to practice on Sunday, I mean, it was the first time in 3 years that I got to practice on that day,” gushed Poole. “In the past, I was already on my way home to North Carolina, so it feels great.”
Instead of being the contingency plan, Poole has finally taken center stage among the Cardinals receivers.
“I’m so happy for him just to be around and be part of this thing because he always is at the end of the year, so it is nice he’s finally getting to start out with us,” said quarterback Josh McCown. “I’ve always thought he has great hands and a great knack for catching the football. I enjoy throwing to him and I have a great deal of confidence in him.”
McCown has always been one of Poole’s faithful supporters, but finally that confidence has also spread to the coaching staff.
“I know Coach wants me here and that is a big difference,” explained Poole. “In the previous camps, they started shying away from me but they want me here and they’ve explained a lot of stuff to me and it just feels good.”
Poole’s engaging personality, his reliability, and his dedication have earned the respect of his teammates, and his own cheering section.
“I was walking through the locker room on Sunday and sort of waiting to see if I was going to get called upstairs and told to go home, but I didn’t, and it just felt like there were a lot of guys around here really happy and worried for me and I appreciated that.”
It is hard not to pull for Poole. Despite being cut 4 times by the Cardinals, he has returned every time with a positive attitude and a willingness to pitch in. In 2002, he even left his job at a children’s home in North Carolina to return to the Cards midway through the season to bolster the injury-plagued receiving corps. He often returns to visit those kids and make sure they are staying on the right path, and is one of the first to volunteer for community activities in the Phoenix area.
“I love working with kids,” shared Poole. “I grew up with my parents and seven siblings in a two-bedroom apartment until I was 16, and we were always told never to give up. You let the man upstairs make decisions and you just keep working and that’s what I’ve tried to do. I hope that my example can help younger kids set their goals.”
Besides being one of the most well-liked players in the locker room, Poole became the unlikely hero with his 28-yard touchdown grab as time expired to knock Minnesota out of the playoffs in the season final. His catch and the win handed the Packers the first-round berth, making him a household name in Green Bay, and giving the Cardinals something to celebrate in an otherwise dismal 4-12 season.
“I love having Nate on the field. I feel comfortable with him and when the lights are on he’s going to make plays,” said McCown of the type of catches Poole’s is capable of bringing down.
This year, Poole is expecting a lot more than just big plays.
“No incompletions thrown my way,” listed Poole for his goal this season. “I want every ball thrown my way to be a catch.”
Chrissy Mauck, azcardinals.com
http://www.azcardinals.com/press/pressdetails.php?sid=2188
