PJ the Best Running Back EVER at BG?

[Rollo83]

I have been following Falcon football for over 25 years now, and I think PJ Pope is the best running back I have ever seen wear the brown and orange. We have had our share of quartebacks and receivers over the yars, but we have never really had a "lights out" running back.

Guys like Chip Otten, Cowboy Bryant Jones, Joe Alls and Godfrey Lewis were serviceable but never a true "feature" back. PJ fits pefectly into our spread offense.

Dave Preston and Paul Myles were both good backs, but I think PJ has more potential. Now, he will have to go a ways to match Preston's NFL achievements but I think he can play at the next level if he gets into the right situation (ie. Cole in Atlanta).

Can someone tell me when the last time a BG riuning back made first team All-MAC?

[Falconfreak90]

I have been following Falcon football for over 25 years now, and I think PJ Pope is the best running back I have ever seen wear the brown and orange. We have had our share of quartebacks and receivers over the yars, but we have never really had a "lights out" running back.

Guys like Chip Otten, Cowboy Bryant Jones, Joe Alls and Godfrey Lewis were serviceable but never a true "feature" back. PJ fits pefectly into our spread offense.

Dave Preston and Paul Myles were both good backs, but I think PJ has more potential. Now, he will have to go a ways to match Preston's NFL achievements but I think he can play at the next level if he gets into the right situation (ie. Cole in Atlanta).

Can someone tell me when the last time a BG riuning back made first team All-MAC?

Pope was 1st team All MAC in 2003.

I think you're dead on here. I've been following BG football just about as long and dont' remember a back so complete. I never saw Paul Miles or Dave Preston play at BG (I was only a little Freak in those days ) and my dad would probably throw Bernie Casey in the mix as well.

But as far as an all round back? Pope is THEE best, IMO. He just does everything very well.

408 hours

[BG65]

Don Lisbon played for the 49ers and Jay Cunningham played for the Patriots in the 60's. They were awfully good. Played with a fellow named Larry Smith who became a pretty good coach.

[TG1996]

While my Falcon football viewing has been limited to a couple games a year, plus what ever ends up on TV, just about everytime I think of PJ Pope, I think of his TD catch against Memphis, hanging back just long enough for the middle of the field to open up, then dropping into space and having NO one around him.

[Falconfreak90]

While my Falcon football viewing has been limited to a couple games a year, plus what ever ends up on TV, just about everytime I think of PJ Pope, I think of his TD catch against Memphis, hanging back just long enough for the middle of the field to open up, then dropping into space and having NO one around him.

Great play there, TG. The one catch I was most impressed with was the one at Temple last year. The game wasn't on tv but the play was included on the highlight DVD. Pope totally laid out for this one in the end zone and made a superb catch.

87 can vouch on that one...he and Noah were there.

Pope is heavenly!

[Jacobs4Heisman]

We were actually there and sitting in the second row end zone seats during that catch. He dove right at us and I remember the collective gasp from everyone around me when he caught that ball. They were talking about it for the rest of the game.

[Dayons_Den]

Interesting this was brought up. Pope is my favorite Falcon, as evidenced by my jersey # selection. The other day I was going through some old media guides and read closlely the section on The Only Retired Number of course Paul Miles who was the first (and only??) BG running back to compile 1,000 in three straight seasons. That got me thinking that Pope is about to do that this season if all goes as planned.

Combined with his blocking and pass catching ability Pope should be near the top of the list of all time great falcons let alone falcon backs. Its funny because he often gets forgotten with guys like Harris, Magner, Omar, and Sharon around. . .

[Falconfreak90]

We were actually there and sitting in the second row end zone seats during that catch. He dove right at us and I remember the collective gasp from everyone around me when he caught that ball. They were talking about it for the rest of the game.

Wow....I'll bet it looked 50X sweeter in person! Pope is da man!

[kdog27]

While my Falcon football viewing has been limited to a couple games a year, plus what ever ends up on TV, just about everytime I think of PJ Pope, I think of his TD catch against Memphis, hanging back just long enough for the middle of the field to open up, then dropping into space and having NO one around him.

That was my favorite play from last season. After that play, Memphis packed it in.

[TG1996]

That was my favorite play from last season. After that play, Memphis packed it in.

Best part is he was a half second from being that open the play before. He adjusted a hair and was ridiculously open for the TD. I remember watching the play before it thinking "Oh crap they had it!", so I was thrilled to see it work the next time out.

[Redwingtom]

Well...PJ will most likely be the all-time yardage leader after this season, so the case can certainly be made...although he had the advantage of playing in the spread era of Falcon football.

[kdog27]

That was my favorite play from last season. After that play, Memphis packed it in.

Best part is he was a half second from being that open the play before. He adjusted a hair and was ridiculously open for the TD. I remember watching the play before it thinking "Oh crap they had it!", so I was thrilled to see it work the next time out.

They had been killing us on that all out blitz too. That play was the perfect call.

[Falconfreak90]

That was my favorite play from last season. After that play, Memphis packed it in.

Best part is he was a half second from being that open the play before. He adjusted a hair and was ridiculously open for the TD. I remember watching the play before it thinking "Oh crap they had it!", so I was thrilled to see it work the next time out.

They had been killing us on that all out blitz too. That play was the perfect call.

Seeing Joe Lee Dunn on his knee scratching his head in total frustration was the best. The whole game the announcers kept saying how great a D coach he was...and BG stuck it to him in a big way.

[Class of 61]

Pope was 1st team All MAC in 2003.

I think you're dead on here. I've been following BG football just about as long and dont' remember a back so complete. I never saw Paul Miles or Dave Preston play at BG (I was only a little Freak in those days ) and my dad would probably throw Bernie Casey in the mix as well.

But as far as an all round back? Pope is THEE best, IMO. He just does everything very well.

408 hours

Mike,
Your dad might want to include Bernie in that mix, and since I lived down the hall from him for 2 yrs. I wouldn't argue totally, but he was a different type of back.... not too many running backs at 6'2" or so, which is why he was drafted as a WR ( and a pretty good one at that).

Preston to me was the best I'd seen till PJ came along...he didn't get the glory of a retired jersey that Miles did, but he was similar to PJ in terms of passcatching out of backfield AND running. PJ's real strength is that ability to catch the football, a skill not common among RB's these days...and it fits perfectly into our schemes. Hope he has another outstanding year.

[TG1996]

Preston to me was the best I'd seen till PJ came along...he didn't get the glory of a retired jersey that Miles did, but he was similar to PJ in terms of passcatching out of backfield AND running.

The crazy thing with Preston is that he lead the team in rushing for two NON-CONSECUTIVE seasons. Was he hurt in the middle season? Dan Saleet ran for 1100 yards that season, and seemed to get the bulk of the carries.