Robert Popelka

Last updated
Robert Popelka
Robert E. Popelka.png
Popelka from 1967 "Cotton Blossom"
Born:November 20, 1949
Career information
Position(s) Defensive back
College Southern Methodist University
High school Temple High School
Career history
As player
1970–1972 SMU Mustangs
Career highlights and awards
Consensus All-American (1972)

Robert E. Popelka (born November 20, 1949) is a former American football player.

Popelka was raised in Temple, Texas, and played college football as a defensive back for Southern Methodist University. Popelka played tailback in high school but was converted to defense at SMU. [1] In 1971, he intercepted a pass and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown to help SMU to an 18-17 upset victory over Texas Tech. [2] [3] He was a consensus first-team selection to the 1972 College Football All-America Team. [4] He was also twice selected as an All-Southwest Conference player. [5] SMU coach Hayden Fry said of Popelka: "Robert is the best defensive back in America. He has the tools and equipment to do it all. He has 9.7 speed, great quickness, and excellent judgment and timing." [6] He also won the Southwest Conference's Kern Tips Memorial Award in 1972 as the conference's outstanding senior football player. [7] [8]

Popelka was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 14th round of the 1973 NFL Draft, [9] He was considered to be too small and too slow for the NFL. [10]

Popelka was inducted into the SMU Hall of Fame in 1983. [5]

Related Research Articles

Jerry LeVias is a former American football player. He played college football at Southern Methodist University (SMU). He played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) with the Houston Oilers and in the National Football League (NFL) with the Oilers and the San Diego Chargers. LeVias was the first African-American scholarship athlete and second African-American football player in the Southwest Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Logan</span> American football player (born 1951)

Randolph "Randy" Logan is a former American football player. He played 11 seasons as a free safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1973 to 1983. He was a second-team All-NFL player in 1980, and his streak of 159 consecutive games is the second longest in Eagles history. Logan played college football at the University of Michigan from 1970 to 1972 where he was selected as a consensus first-team defensive back on the 1972 College Football All-America Team.

William James Atessis is a former American football player who played on two NCAA national championship teams at the University of Texas. One of the most honored and productive defensive ends in NCAA history, he was a three-year starter and was a second-team All-American as a junior and a consensus All-American as a senior. He currently resides in Houston, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SMU Mustangs football</span> SMU college football team

The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team representing Southern Methodist University (SMU) in University Park in Dallas County, Texas. The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the American Athletic Conference.

The 1969 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1969 Big Ten Conference football season. In their first year under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled an 8–3 record, played in the 1970 Rose Bowl, and finished the season ranked No. 9 in the final AP poll and No. 8 in the final UPI poll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 Texas Longhorns football team</span> American college football season

The 1970 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. The Longhorns shared the national championship with Nebraska, their third national championship overall. Texas had previously won consensus national titles in 1963 and 1969.

The 1983 Baylor Bears football team represented the Baylor University in the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Bears finished the season third in the Southwest Conference. They lost to Oklahoma State in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, 14–24.

The 1973 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1973 Big Ten Conference football season. In his fifth year as Michigan's head coach, Bo Schembechler led the team to a 10–0–1 record. It was Michigan's first undefeated season since 1948. The Wolverines outscored their opponents 330 to 68. Michigan was ranked No. 6 in both of the major post-season polls. Two other selectors, the National Championship Foundation and the Poling System, recognize Michigan as a co-national champion for the 1973 season.

The 1972 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1972 Big Ten Conference football season. In their fourth season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled a 10–1 record, outscored opponents 264–57, and were ranked sixth in both final polls. Offensive guard Tom Coyle and defensive back Randy Logan were the team captains.

The 1971 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1971 Big Ten Conference football season. In their third season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled an 11–1 record, outscored opponents 421 to 83, won the Big Ten Conference championship, and were ranked No. 4 in the final UPI Poll and No. 6 in the final AP Poll. Defensive back Frank Gusich and center Guy Murdock were the team captains.

The 1970 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1970 Big Ten Conference football season. In their second season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled a 9–1 record, tied for second place in the conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 288 to 90. Michigan's victories included intersectional contests with Arizona (20–9), Washington (17–3), and Texas A&M (14–10). The team won its first nine games before losing to rival Ohio State and was ranked No. 7 in the final UPI Poll and No. 9 in the final AP Poll

The 1947 SMU Mustangs football team was an American football team that represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1947 college football season. In its tenth season under head coach Matty Bell, the team compiled a 9–0–2 record, won the SWC championship, outscored opponents by a total of 182 to 90, and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP Poll. The team played its home games at Ownby Stadium on the SMU campus and at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

The 1972 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. Led by Hayden Fry in his 11th and final season as head coach, the Mustangs compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a conference mark of 4–3, tying for second place in the SWC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Wyman (American football)</span> American football player (1951–2013)

William Henry Wyman was a collegiate American football player. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and played at the center position for the Texas Longhorns football team from 1971 to 1973. He was a consensus first-team selection to the 1973 College Football All-America Team. He has been called "the anchor of Darrell Royal's final Southwest Conference championship teams." He was drafted by the New York Jets in the 6th round of the 1974 NFL Draft. In 1974 training camp he competed with Warren Koegel to be the Jets' backup center but left camp a couple of times. He was cut by the Jets before the start of the regular season. He tried out with the Washington Redskins during their 1975 training camp but was cut before the season began. He suffered from Parkinson's disease starting in approximately 1995 and died in June 2013.

The 1935 SMU Mustangs football team was an American football team that represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1935 college football season. In their first season under head coach Matty Bell, the Mustangs posted an overall record of 12–1 record with a mark of 6–0 in conference play, winning the SWC title. SMU was invited to the Rose Bowl, where they lost to Stanford. The Mustangs shut out eight of thirteen opponents and outscored all opponents by a total of 288 to 39 on the season.

The 1971 Toledo Rockets football team was an American football team that represented the University of Toledo in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. In their first season under head coach Jack Murphy, the Rockets compiled a 12–0 record, outscored all opponents by a combined total of 383 to 96, and won the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship. The season ended with a 28–3 victory over Southern Conference champion Richmond in the 1970 Tangerine Bowl. The Rockets were ranked No. 14 in the final AP Poll and No. 13 in the final UPI Poll.

The 1970 Big Ten Conference football season was the 75th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1970 NCAA University Division football season.

Jeff Atkins is a former American football running back.

Gary Allen Hammond is a former American football wide receiver and running back in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis Cardinals. He played college football for the SMU Mustangs.

The 1972 All-Southwest Conference football team consists of American football players chosen, at each position, as the best players in the Southwest Conference during the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. The selectors for the 1972 season included the Associated Press (AP), selected by the conference coaches, and the United Press International (UPI).

References

  1. ↑ "Fry High on Ex-Tailback Popelka as Defensive Back". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. November 3, 1971. p. 1E – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Popelka Hero Of Pony Win". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 24, 1971. p. 3B – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Robert Popelka Named Defensive Player of Week". The Eagle. October 27, 1971. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 6. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Robert Popelka Bio". SMUMustangs.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Maxson and Morris: SMU's Dynamic Duo". The Tampa Tribune. September 20, 1972. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Popelka Wins Award". Austin American-Statesman. December 7, 1972. p. 55 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Says Kern Tips Winner -- 'Technique 10 Percent And Desire 90 Percent'". El Paso Herald-Post. December 7, 1972. p. 32 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "1973 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Popelka Doesn't Feel He'll Get Full Chance". The Bonham Daily Favorite. February 5, 1973. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.