 Pope with the Chiefs in 2010. | |||||||
| No. 45, 82 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | September 10, 1983 Americus, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 264 lb (120 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Americus (GA) | ||||||
| College: | Georgia | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 2006 / Round: 3 / Pick: 72 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
| Player stats at NFL.com | |||||||
Leonard Pope (born September 10, 1983) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft.[1] He played college football at Georgia.
Pope has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Chicago Bears.
After emerging as a redzone target in 2007 with five touchdown catches, in 2008 Pope had nine catches total (none for a touchdown).
The Cardinals waived Pope on September 4, 2009.[2]
Pope signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on September 29, 2009. Pope scored four touchdowns during his three seasons with the Chiefs. In 2011, he started ten games, setting career highs in receptions and yards, and tying his career high in average yards per catch. One of his notable plays was during the 2011 Chiefs/Packers game where the Chiefs upset the previously undefeated Packers 19-14. Pope attempted to catch the ball, was tackled and possibly fumbled the ball before he had gone out of bounds. The play was reviewed, and the referees said it was a catch.
Pope signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on April 10, 2012, reuniting him with his former Cardinals and Chiefs coach Todd Haley, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator.[3]
On August 3, 2013, Pope was signed by the Chicago Bears.[4] He was released on August 25.[5]
Pope has four brothers, four sisters, two daughters (Cheryan and Laila Pope), and three sons (Leonard Pope IV, Lucas Rylan Pope and Lawson Reid Pope). He attended Americus High School in Americus, Georgia.
Pope saved 6-year-old Bryson Moore from drowning in June 2011.[6]
Pope's nickname is "Champ", and he has a charity foundation also called CHAMP (Creating Hope And Making Progress) to help under-privileged children.