LEONARD POPE

Leonard Pope was the star tight end and a first-team all-state player on Americus’ 2000 and 2001 Class AA championships teams. Americus, ahead of its time as a passing team in those days, was 29-1 while averaging 39 points per game during this future Georgia and NFL player’s junior and senior seasons. Pope had more than 50 receptions in those championship years. He also played in the secondary and, according to head coach Erik Soliday, “was actually better on defense than offense. He would drop down from safety and hit you, and at 6-6, 230, his high school size, he was a force. People were hesitant to catch a ball around him.” Pope was the tight end on Georgia High School Football Daily’s 24-player all-decade team (2000-09). Pope played at Georgia and was a two-year starter before declaring for the NFL Draft after his junior season, when he was a key figure on the Bulldogs’ SEC championship team. He was the unanimous first-team All-SEC tight end as a junior and senior. The Arizona Cardinals drafted Pope in the third round of the 2006 draft. He played seven NFL seasons and was the Cardinals’ starting tight end on their 2008 Super Bowl team.