Leonard Pope's experience at HMA

I've been reading about tight end Leonard Pope from the University of Georgia. Pope was picked in the 3rd round (72nd overall) in the NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Turns out he attended Hargrave in 2002. But from the sound of the following article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Pope's experience at HMA wasn't so pleasant. The culture of the school definitely has to grow on you, and for some it never quite does.

To balance off Pope's comments in the Milwaukee paper, though, note his thoughts in an article by Larry Mayer on the Chicago Bears website...

"I kind of took the hard way to get to (Georgia), but it was a blessing in disguise," Pope said last season. " [Hargrave] helped me appreciate what I've got, to not take things for granted. It taught me to work hard and made me grow up."

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From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Possibly the tallest receiver in college football, Pope has that perfect blend of size, strength and speed needed to consistently stretch the defense and break tackles to gain extra yardage. Anyone looking for a validation of his hard-driving running skills after the catch need only to talk to Tennessee cornerback Jason Allen, who suffered a dislocated hip trying to tackle Pope in 2005.

At Americus High School, Pope earned Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100, Top 50 in Georgia, Class AA All-State, Georgia Sportswriters Association All-State honors and was invited to play in the Georgia-Florida All-Star game. He led his team to two consecutive Class AA state titles during his junior and senior seasons.

Pope registered seven touchdowns as a tight end, catching eight passes with a pair of touchdowns in the playoffs as a senior. He also returned an interception for a score while lining up at safety that year. As a junior, Pope caught 25 passes for 491 yards and six touchdowns. "We always saw an unlimited potential for Pope," said Erik Soliday, who coached Pope at Americus his final three years. "To get where he is as quick as he has, I don't know if anyone saw that coming. He's just an extremely talented kid."

Heavily recruited out of high school, academic problems forced Pope to attend Hargrave Military Academy in 2002, where he was a roommate of Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks. Pope describes the Hargrave experience as a "tough and crazy year," where time stood still and the only way home was a Greyhound bus. "Minutes were like hours," Pope said. "I hated it with a passion. I was like 13 hours from my house."

Pope wasn't fond of the regimented lifestyle of military school, and found himself a long way from the comforts of home, including his kitchen.

"He used to come to my room to try and get snacks," said Brooks, a Butkus Award finalist last year who became close friends with Pope. "Hargrave was a learning experience. We had to get our SAT scores. We were like a family, picking each other up and encouraging each other to do good, on and off the field."

Brooks earned his qualifying score fall semester and left Hargrave. Pope remained behind, still trying to land his one-way ticket out. He dreaded having to return. "When he left, I cried because I was the first one back on the Greyhound," Pope said. "I always thought in my mind, 'If I had a chance, what would I do with it?' "

With his academics now in order, Pope enrolled at Georgia in 2003. He appeared in every game as reserve tight end, but only had one catch for 21 yards. He started ten contests in 2004, grabbing 25 passes for 482 yards (19.3 avg) and six touchdowns.

Pope was a unanimous All-Southeastern Conference selection in 2005. He started eleven games, missing the Louisiana-Monroe contest when head coach Mark Richt suspended him for a dorm room incident. He ranked second on the team with 33 receptions for 491 yards (14.9 avg) and three touchdowns. In 35 games with the Bulldogs, Pope started 21 times. He gained 994 yards with nine touchdowns on 59 catches (16.8 avg).