Will Poole

"I was in a situation where I had to retire," Poole described. "I didn’t get to ask myself, ‘should this be over now?’ It was kind of a forced retirement."

After three seasons as a defensive back with the Miami Dolphins, Poole initially struggled during his transition. A friction formed between him and his family as both didn’t comprehend what the other was going through - he battled homelessness, alcoholism, and loss of faith.

"When it was over, I didn't really know what to do. It was 2011, The Trust was not a thing at this point so that wasn't yet an option for me," Poole said. "I would talk to my family, but those relationships changed because they didn't understand the dynamics of the transition from professional sports to the real world. I didn’t have the tools or the development to be able to go into a new chapter and let football go."

Not knowing what else to do, Poole filled his time with things he was familiar with: training and coaching. Going back to school was far from his mind as he worked his way down different career avenues, trying to find a new passion.

"Going back to school was one of those things I just couldn't see. I blamed a lot of things on not going back right away," Poole detailed. "I said it would take too long, or that it meant I would have to pick up and go back to USC. The ultimate things holding me back were personal: guilt, resentment, not having the ability to let go of the past, etc."

FINDING THE TRUST

While working with Football University, an organization which puts on youth football camps, a former player approached Poole to ask him if he was familiar with The Trust. After he described the available services and benefits, Poole knew he needed to reach out.

"At that point in time, I was committed to change my life by any means necessary. Whatever it took, I was committed," Poole expressed. "I called Hannibal Navies (Director, Engagement & Outreach) and started utilizing The Trust. The Scholarship Award Benefit was probably the single most important thing The Trust has done for me. It allowed me to go back to school to finish up my degree in Political Science."

EARNING HIS DEGREE

Once Poole made the decision to go back to school, he committed to the process. Since he was still on academic probation from when he was enrolled ten years prior, The Trust and USC facilitated a plan for how to move forward again as a student. After maintaining good grades, Poole said everything began to fall into place.

"Prior to going back to school, I never thought critically. I was just playing football, going along with whatever it brought to the table," Poole revealed. "At USC, I allowed myself to take classes which interested me. Starting a new career at 33 years old can be kind of scary but going back to school gave me the opportunity to realize I could compete outside of playing football. Political science was a field where I was able to compete in the classroom with people who were going to be judges, lawyers, etc. It was good for my confidence because before, all my confidence was coming from the ability to play football. It was important to change the narrative of how people perceived me and how I perceived myself."

Tracy Moss, Poole's AthLife advisor, credited Will's academic achievement to his persistence and diligence. "He was intentional in using every resource available along the way," raved Moss. "He is a great example of how The Trust empowers former players to meet their academic and career goals."

THRIVING IN REAL ESTATE

Now with his degree in hand, Poole says he is on the other side of his transition. He uses what he learned on the field and in the classroom in his new career at Lee & Associates Real Estate Services. The job allows him to utilize all of the qualities which made him a professional athlete: "self-discipline, resiliency, and not being afraid of hearing the word no."

"The Trust gave me a new lease on life. It changed my life and allowed me to be where I am today: doing commercial real estate in Southern California," Poole said. "My goal is to compete and be the best I can be in this space. I have faith in God that even though I don't know what's going to happen day to day, I know if I just keep going and working hard, something good is going to happen."