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Small-town Pope making big impact at SMU

Written by Matthew Postins

DALLAS — The question wasn’t meant to be a brain tease. All a reporter did was ask Kevin Pope if he could remember the last time a Mount Enterprise football player earned significant playing time on a FBS football team.

One would assume that Pope, a Mount Enterprise standout running back and linebacker, would be able to answer that question definitively.

“None,” said Pope, a junior at Southern Methodist University. “Not at all that I can recall. I don’t think I know any.”

It underlines the difficulty players from small Texas high schools face when it comes to playing at college football’s highest level. Mount Enterprise, population 447 as of 2010, plays in Class 1A. Some Bearkats make their way to nearby Stephen F. Austin or smaller colleges like East Texas Baptist. But playing a role for an FBS school that has designs on a conference championship can be daunting for players like Pope.

Small-town Pope making big impact at SMU

Thanks PP.

Thank god One Speed is here. It still hurts me remembering him demolish the Memphis QB last year. Let's hope he can continue to punish opposing players for the next two years.

I'm partial to this kid because a buddy of mine was a coach at mount while pope was there.

I heard my buddy say more than once that they thought they missed him on defense more so than offense. The guy has great closing speed. If you get a chance watch the end of the Memphis game from last year where he got some time on the field.

I just wish the coaching staff had not been so stupid as to burn his possible frosh redshirt year with his 1 offensive play that year.

Bring a few papal blessings to Waco

PoconoPony wrote:I just wish the coaching staff had not been so stupid as to burn his possible frosh redshirt year with his 1 offensive play that year.

Love the kid...it is weird that JJ is so haphazard about burning redshirts. sorta like 3 years down the line is too far away for JJ to fathom