Former Randleman standout Dominick Poole has been racking up honors after his freshman season with The Citadel football team.
Poole, a defensive back, has received recognition on the Southern Conference and national levels.
Poole was named Freshman of the Year in the Southern Conference by the Southern Conference Sports Media Association.
Poole became The Citadel’s first media Freshman of the Year since 1982. That was the only other time a Bulldog has been honored with that award.
Poole came off the bench in The Citadel’s first two games before starting the final nine. He finished the season with 51 total tackles (27 solo) and had a pair of interceptions, in victories against nationally ranked Virginia Military Institute and Chattanooga.
With a team-high nine pass breakups, Poole tied for second in the league with 11 passes defended.
One of those was described as one of the biggest plays of the season for the Bulldogs. Poole broke up a pass on a two-point conversion to clinch an overtime victory against Wofford.
In Southern Conference coaches’ awards, Poole was named to the all-freshman defensive team. He was the lone player from The Citadel on that list.
Poole is a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which goes to the Freshman of the Year in the Football Championship Subdivision. There are 23 players on the ballot. The winner of that award will be announced Dec. 13.
Poole was in his second year in The Citadel program, playing in four games during the reconfigured 2020 season that extended to the spring 2021 semester. That allowed him to preserve a year of eligibility.
The Citadel finished this season with a 4-7 record, with a 3-5 mark in Southern Conference play.
