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Primary Mark<br />
VETERANS<br />
BRADY<br />
POPPINGA<br />
LINEBACKER<br />
BRIGHAM YOUNG<br />
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 250<br />
Fifth <strong>NFL</strong> Season<br />
Fifth Packers Season<br />
Born: September 21, 1979<br />
<strong>NFL</strong> Gm. Played/Started: 60/40<br />
Acquired: D4b-05<br />
ADMIN. &<br />
POPPINGA COACHES COMMUNITY<br />
LAMBEAU RECORDS &<br />
DRAFT &<br />
MISC. FIELD HISTORY 2008 REVIEW FREE AGENTS<br />
PRO<br />
career<br />
An intense and enthusiastic<br />
veteran, the fifthyear<br />
pro will <strong>com</strong>pete for<br />
a starting spot at outside linebacker in the defense’s new<br />
3-4 scheme, reprising the pass-rush role from his days as<br />
a college defensive end…Played some end in passing situations<br />
in ’08, his first snaps in that capacity<br />
since making the transition to linebacker<br />
as a senior at Brigham Young…Remained<br />
a consistent contributor last season despite<br />
beginning the year in <strong>com</strong>petition with free-agent<br />
signee Brandon Chillar for starting strong-side linebacker<br />
job, playing in every game and recording a career-high 77<br />
tackles…Hasn’t missed a game the last three years since<br />
returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left<br />
knee, sustained in the final month of his rookie season, in<br />
his first <strong>NFL</strong> start (vs. Detroit, Dec. 11, 2005)…Was back<br />
on the practice field in training camp in August 2006, able<br />
to play in the final two preseason games and start the season<br />
opener on Sept. 10, one day less than nine months<br />
from the injury date...The remarkably fast recovery was<br />
attributed to his undying work ethic and intensity during<br />
rehabilitation, which only furthered his love for the game...<br />
Despite the serious injury, has played in 60 of a possible<br />
64 games in his four-year career (62 of 66 including playoffs),<br />
amassing 233 total tackles (151 solo), three sacks,<br />
two interceptions, seven passes defensed, two forced<br />
fumbles and 30 special teams tackles...As a rookie, played<br />
in 12 games prior to his injury and was an immediate contributor<br />
on special teams, finishing second on the team<br />
with 22 coverage stops, one behind fellow rookie Marviel<br />
Underwood…At BYU, was a three-time first-team All-<br />
Mountain West Conference selection, amassing 20 career<br />
sacks between end and linebacker positions…Drafted in<br />
the fourth round in 2005, entered the <strong>NFL</strong> older than most<br />
rookies after spending two years on a Mormon mission in<br />
Uruguay prior to going to college.<br />
2008 season<br />
Played in all 16 games for the third<br />
straight season with 12 starts at<br />
strong-side linebacker...Held off challenge from free-agent<br />
signee Chillar during training camp for starting job and<br />
registered career-best 77 tackles (51 solo), one more than<br />
previous career high and second most among linebackers…Vs.<br />
Minnesota (Sept. 8): Among six tackles,<br />
<strong>com</strong>bined with DT Colin Cole to hold RB Adrian Peterson<br />
to a 1-yard gain on a 3rd-and-2 in the second quarter.<br />
Also contributed his lone pass defensed on the season…<br />
At Tampa Bay (Sept. 28): Tied for second on team<br />
with 10 tackles, including stop of RB Warrick Dunn for<br />
2-yard loss in third quarter…At Tennessee (Nov. 2):<br />
Stopped RB Chris Johnson for a 1-yard loss in first quarter<br />
among five tackles…At Minnesota (Nov. 9): Started<br />
and posted career-high 12 tackles…Vs. Carolina (Nov.<br />
30): Made six tackles, including a stop of RB DeAngelo<br />
Williams for a 2-yard loss in the fourth quarter. Also began<br />
taking a few snaps at defensive end in pass-rushing situations,<br />
a role he held the rest of the season…Vs. Detroit<br />
(Dec. 28): Registered five tackles, including a stop of RB<br />
Kevin Smith for a 1-yard loss on second-quarter run, and<br />
added two QB pressures.<br />
►►Last name is pronounced puh-<br />
PING-ah.<br />
►►Will <strong>com</strong>pete for a starting spot<br />
at OLB in new 3-4 scheme,<br />
reprising his pass-rush role as a<br />
college defensive end.<br />
►►Returned to practice less than<br />
eight full months after a torn at a glance…<br />
anterior cruciate ligament in his<br />
knee, started the 2006 season opener, and has played in<br />
every game since.<br />
►►Has recorded two of his three career sacks in the<br />
Metrodome, against Minnesota quarterbacks Brad Johnson<br />
(Nov. 12, 2006) and Daunte Culpepper (Oct. 23, 2005).<br />
►►Spent two years on a mission in Uruguay before entering<br />
BYU; recalls the trip as the most difficult and most rewarding<br />
experience of his life.<br />
►►Comes from a very athletic family. Father, Dennis, played<br />
tight end at BYU from 1968-1971; brother, Casey, played<br />
tight end at Utah State; brother, Kelly, was a linebacker at<br />
BYU; and older sister, Tara, played volleyball at Utah State.<br />
►►Son is named Julius Maximus Poppinga, a name inspired by<br />
his favorite movie, Gladiator.<br />
2007<br />
Played in 16 games with 15 starts; did not officially<br />
start vs. Detroit (Dec. 30) with team<br />
opening in its ‘nickel’ package…Also started both playoff<br />
games…Registered 70 tackles (43 solo), with one interception<br />
and one pass defensed…Vs. Chicago (Oct. 7):<br />
Made five tackles with one pass defensed and an interception.<br />
In the fourth quarter, caught a Brian Griese pass<br />
tipped by Nick Collins, the Packers’ only forced turnover<br />
of the game and second interception of Poppinga’s career<br />
(also Oct. 22, 2006, at Miami)…Vs. Minnesota (Nov.<br />
11): On the Vikings’ first drive, stopped Peterson for no<br />
gain on third-and-1, leading to a punt…At St. Louis<br />
(Dec. 16): Posted a season-high eight tackles (four<br />
solo)…At Chicago (Dec. 23): Made six solo tackles; in<br />
the second quarter, dropped RB Garrett Wolfe for a 3-yard<br />
loss…Vs. New York Giants (Jan. 20): In NFC Championship,<br />
made five tackles (four solo); in the first quarter,<br />
stopped RB Brandon Jacobs for no gain at the Green Bay<br />
11-yard line on a drive that ended three plays later with a<br />
Giants field goal.<br />
2006<br />
Played in all 16 games, starting 12…Recorded<br />
76 tackles (51 solo), one sack, one interception,<br />
five passes defensed and a pair of forced fumbles…Did<br />
not start four contests when the team opened in its nickel<br />
package…Reclaimed the starting role he had earned Dec.<br />
11, 2005, when a torn anterior cruciate ligament ended<br />
his rookie season…After an unusually quick recovery<br />
and rehabilitation, returned to practice on a limited basis<br />
Aug. 8 and to the starting lineup in four weeks, returning<br />
in Week 1 to the starting ‘Sam’ LB role he had relinquished<br />
upon his 2005 injury…Vs. Chicago (Sept. 10): Started<br />
season opener and led the team with a (then) career-high<br />
11 tackles, including a personal-best nine solo stops…At<br />
Miami (Oct. 22): Made his first career interception, picking<br />
off a Joey Harrington pass floated over the middle and<br />
returning it 21 yards…At Minnesota (Nov. 12): Sacked<br />
Brad Johnson, forcing a fumble (recovered by Corey Wil-<br />
212 25
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