Atlanta, GA – As a kid, Tyrone Poole never thought about playing sports beyond playing in the neighborhood until his elementary P.E. coach, Coach Parsons, asked him about playing organized sports. Poole said that Coach Parsons saw his talent and how athletics came easy for him. Poole said that Coach Parsons’s influence was the launching pad for his athletic career. Poole says that he talks about Coach Parsons in his book “Ultimate Success In The Game Of Life.” In the book, Poole shares the principles of his success, stating there is success and “ultimate success.” Poole says, “Success is the plane taking off and ultimate success is the plane landing at its destination.” A natural-born athlete, Poole was not only able to get his proverbial plane in the air, but land it as well.
After playing college football at Fort Valley State University, Poole was a first-round NFL Draft pick for the Carolina Panthers in 1995. His career would take him from the Panthers, to teams across the NFL including the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, and the Tennessee Titans. While at New England, Poole won two Super Bowl rings, one in 2003 as he faced off against his first NFL team, the Carolina Panthers, and the other after the Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004. In his 12 seasons in the NFL as a corner back, Poole had 18 interceptions and 145 tackles, which included six sacks and five forced fumbles.
When asked on Applebee’s Tailgate Talk what it was like for a kid out of LaGrange, Georgia, to go from Fort Valley State College to the NFL, Poole responded, “It was like a deer in the headlights.” He said, “If you don’t have the right instructions or follow the right manual, it’s easy to mess up. The most difficult thing is the mental capacity of the NFL. Mentally, that game runs 1000 miles per hour. NFL veterans helped me a lot.”
On the show, Poole was asked about his most memorable moment during his time in the NFL. He said, “The greatest memory that I am always going to take with me is the fact that I won the two Super Bowls and to see that confetti fall from the rafters and to see the smile on everyone’s face. When I look back, there were 31 other teams who said the same thing (they were going to win the Super Bowl). From OTA (Organized Team Activities) to training camps, we were the only ones standing at the end of the season. That confetti falling, the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and the Super Bowl rings, those are like having your first child or walking across the stage to get your degree. Those are things that you just won’t forget.”
Tyrone Poole’s book “Ultimate Success In The Game Of Life” is currently available at TyronePoole38.com.