P. J. Pope
Encyclopedia
William Leroy "P. J." Pope, Jr. (born February 26, 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio
) is an American football
running back
who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Chicago Bears
as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football
at Bowling Green
.
Pope has also played for the Green Bay Packers
and Denver Broncos
.
in Wyoming, Ohio
, where he excelled in baseball
and football
. During his senior year, Pope ran for 2,230 rushing yards and 36 touchdown
s, enough to help him win the "Southern Ohio Player of the Year" Award.
, he managed to become the school's third all-time leading rusher. He became the only player in the school's history to record 3,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards.
signed Pope as an undrafted free agent before the 2006 NFL
preseason to compensate for the absence of starting running backs Thomas Jones
and Cedric Benson
. The Bears later cut Pope from the team on September 9, but was shortly re-signed onto the practice squad.
signed Pope from the Bears' practice squad on October 31, 2006. On August 24, 2007, he was cut along with 11 other players from Green Bay.
He was released on October 20, only to be re-signed to following day. Pope was promoted to the Broncos active roster on November 4, a day after running back
s Andre Hall
and Michael Pittman
were placed on season-ending injured reserve
. Pope became the starter when Peyton Hillis
also went on injured reserve
.
Pope was waived by the Broncos on February 11, 2009.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Bowling Green
Bowling Green Falcons
The Bowling Green Falcons are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Bowling Green State University, located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The Falcons participate in NCAA Division I in the Mid-American Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. BGSU is one of only 13 universities in the...
.
Pope has also played for the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Pope attended Wyoming High SchoolWyoming High School
Wyoming High School is a public high school located in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. Wyoming, Ohio is part of the Wyoming City School District, Hamilton County, Ohio. Wyoming High School is known for its excellence in education, and was ranked among the top five districts in the state on the Ohio...
in Wyoming, Ohio
Wyoming, Ohio
Wyoming is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 8,261 at the 2000 census.Wyoming has a renowned education program - the Wyoming City School District was ranked first in the State of Ohio on the 2004-2005 State Report Card, with an index score of 108.2...
, where he excelled in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
. During his senior year, Pope ran for 2,230 rushing yards and 36 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, enough to help him win the "Southern Ohio Player of the Year" Award.
College career
During Pope's career at Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
, he managed to become the school's third all-time leading rusher. He became the only player in the school's history to record 3,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards.
First stint with Bears
The Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed Pope as an undrafted free agent before the 2006 NFL
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
preseason to compensate for the absence of starting running backs Thomas Jones
Thomas Jones (football player)
Thomas Quinn Jones is an American National Football League running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals seventh overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at The University of Virginia. Jones has also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago...
and Cedric Benson
Cedric Benson
Cedric Myron Benson is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft...
. The Bears later cut Pope from the team on September 9, but was shortly re-signed onto the practice squad.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
signed Pope from the Bears' practice squad on October 31, 2006. On August 24, 2007, he was cut along with 11 other players from Green Bay.
Second stint with Bears
Pope was re-signed to the Bears' practice squad in September 2007. He remained there the entire season and spent the 2008 preseason with the team before being waived on August 29.Denver Broncos
On August 31, 2008, Pope was signed to the practice squad of the Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
He was released on October 20, only to be re-signed to following day. Pope was promoted to the Broncos active roster on November 4, a day after running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s Andre Hall
Andre Hall
Andre Hall is an American football running back for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
and Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State....
were placed on season-ending injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
. Pope became the starter when Peyton Hillis
Peyton Hillis
Hillis was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.-2008 Season:At the start of the 2008 season, Hillis was listed as the Broncos' starting fullback...
also went on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
.
Pope was waived by the Broncos on February 11, 2009.