For Kelly Poppinga, football is more than just a game.
"It's passion, emotion and intensity," said Poppinga, a six-foot-two, 240 pound senior linebacker for the Cougars. "It's a release from the rest of the world. When I step onto the field, I don't think about anything else but football. It gets my mind in another environment."
Passion is essential to football, according to Poppinga, who is a captain along with Bryan Kehl, Matt Allen and Sete Aulai on this year's team.
"Football to me is something you have to have a lot of passion for," Poppinga said. "If you don't have a lot of passion for it, there's no place for you in the game."
And Poppinga is no stranger to the game of football. His brother, Brady, starts as a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. His other brother, Casey, played tight end at Utah State (2000-01 after transferring from the University of Wyoming from 1996-1999. Casey then played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers. And his father, Dennis, played tight end at BYU from 1968-71.
Poppinga remembers playing football with his brothers as a child.
"When I was a little kid, my dad was the Park and Recreation Director up in Evanston, Wyoming," he said. "He'd bring home pads and helmets, and we'd go in our backyard or basement to play tackle or just play around. It was awesome. We started playing football at a very young age."
Family and church take priority in the Poppinga family. But football does play a significant role in their lives.
"Football is an avenue for my sons to show their athletic ability, to grow as individuals, and to learn lessons that they can take on to be successful in this life," said Dennis Poppinga, Kelly's father.
Along with football, Poppinga has participated in various activities throughout his life that taught him important life lessons.
"He played the tuba in middle school, excelled in academics, and he received his Eagle Scout award," said Poppinga's father. About the only thing he has missed was an elk from about 100 yards away during one of several family hunting trips.
Poppinga played several sports in high school, including football and basketball. Although he excelled as a basketball player, and even went to the high school state championships, he decided to play college football.
One of Poppinga's strengths as a football player is his leadership ability--on and off the field.
"Since a young age, Kelly has been a very vocal leader with peers and fellow teammates," said Dennis Poppinga, Kelly's father. "He sets a good example for others, making him someone that people look up to."
Poppinga respects fellow teammates and cheers for their success. One of his favorite moments of the 2006 football season was seeing John Beck succeed during the game against the University of Utah.
"I think the best thing for me was seeing John Beck prove to all of his doubters that he could beat Utah," Poppinga said.
He looked forward to this season and the great things in store for the Cougar football team as he replaced Cameron Jensen at middle linebacker.
"I want our team to reach the goals we set for ourselves in a respectful manner--to follow our mission statement and be flag bearers of this university though football excellence," Poppinga proclaimed. "I want to continue to be champions
and to take our game to the next level."
His concern for other players and strong leadership skills probably stem from the influence of Michael Jordan--Poppinga's childhood hero. Poppinga, whose name is of Dutch-German descent, was one of the legion who wanted to "Be Like Mike."
"He's a great competitor," Poppinga said. "He was a great person to look up to because he served as a leader throughout all his years of success."
Along with his leadership ability, Poppinga has a strong work ethic.
"On the field, Kelly takes pride in being prepared, both physically and mentally. He works hard and understands what it takes to be good," his father said.
These qualities carry over into other parts of Poppinga's life. He works hard to achieve success not only on the field, but in the classroom as well.
"Right now, I just want to concentrate on this season and be the best college football player I possibly can," he said.
After BYU, Poppinga would like to take his game to the next level.
"I have two older brothers who played in the NFL, and they've told me it's been a great experience for them," Poppinga said. "I hope to try and have that same experience."
If things don't work out in the NFL, though, Poppinga has a back-up plan.
"If I know it's something that is not going to happen, there are other things I would like to do," he said. "I started my master's degree in exercise science in September."
Poppinga also enjoys football because it means he gets to spend time with his friends and teammates.
"It's fun just to go out and hit people and not get in trouble for it," Poppinga admitted with a smile.
Poppinga's passion for football has helped him achieve great things on the field. Last season, he played in all 13 games for the Cougars. He was credited with 36 tackles, including 15 solo and 21 assisted takedowns. He was also a significant contributor on a defensive unit that gave up only 14.7 points per game, ranking 10th nationally.
This season he had three tackles for losses and six unassisted tackles at UCLA, six more unassisted tackles at Tulsa and recorded eight assisted tackles against the Air Force Academy.
Poppinga transferred from Utah State to BYU two years ago. Since his arrival at BYU, he has grown to love the team and coaches.
"The number one thing about playing for BYU is being surrounded by great people, a great head coach and great assistant coaches that focus on the task at hand. They help us reach the end goal,' he said.
According to his dad, Poppinga loves playing football for BYU, not only because of its strong program but because of the spiritual side that comes with it.
"Kelly talks mostly about the spiritual aspect of football at BYU, such as team prayers and firesides. They made his decision to attend BYU even better," Poppinga said.
The spiritual aspect of life has always been important to Poppinga. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Guayaquil, Ecuador then transferred from Utah State to BYU. Following Kelly's redshirt season at BYU he married Rebekah Meier. In high school, he had the opportunity to baptize his father, Dennis.
The experience was special for both Poppinga and his father.