Greg Hopkins
Encyclopedia
Greg Hopkins is a former Arena Football League wide receiver
/linebacker
with the Albany Firebirds
and the Los Angeles Avengers
.
, United States
. He attended Waynesburg Central High School in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
and was a quarterback
in football
, a wrestler
on the wrestling team, and a record-setting javelin throw
er on the track and field
team.
, Greg Hopkins was a four-year letterman in football
and a two-year letterman in wrestling. In football, he was a three-time All America honoree, a three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
selection, and won Academic All-America honors as a senior. He set nine school records, and finished his spectacular college career with 215 receptions for 3,382 yards (15.73 yards per reception avg.).
On June 17, 2007, his number, #82, was officially retired by the Los Angeles Avengers
during a halftime ceremony.
nominee for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from that state's 50th Legislative District, which includes all of Greene County
and small parts of Washington
and Fayette
counties. He received approximately 47 percent of the vote against the district's longtime incumbent legislator, Bill DeWeese
, winning in Greene County and losing by small margins in the other counties.
Hopkins announced that he would make a second run for the Republican nomination for the seat in 2008. He was defeated by the incumbent, Bill DeWeese
.
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
/linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
with the Albany Firebirds
Indiana Firebirds
The Indiana Firebirds were a team in the Arena Football League.The team was based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Home games were played at the Conseco Fieldhouse, also the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball...
and the Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
.
High school career
Greg Hopkins was born in Waynesburg, PennsylvaniaWaynesburg, Pennsylvania
Waynesburg is a borough in and the county seat of Greene County, Pennsylvania, United States, southwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 4,184 at the 2000 census....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He attended Waynesburg Central High School in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and was a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, a wrestler
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
on the wrestling team, and a record-setting javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
er on the track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team.
College career
While attending Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaSlippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a public, master's-level university that offers some doctoral programs in cooperation with Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Both institutions are members of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education...
, Greg Hopkins was a four-year letterman in football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and a two-year letterman in wrestling. In football, he was a three-time All America honoree, a three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. The conference is composed of 16 full-time members within Pennsylvania and one associate member in New York...
selection, and won Academic All-America honors as a senior. He set nine school records, and finished his spectacular college career with 215 receptions for 3,382 yards (15.73 yards per reception avg.).
Arena Football League career
- 1996 - Albany FirebirdsIndiana FirebirdsThe Indiana Firebirds were a team in the Arena Football League.The team was based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Home games were played at the Conseco Fieldhouse, also the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball...
: Was limited to two games due to a hand injury and finished the year with two receptions and three tackles. - 1997 - Albany FirebirdsIndiana FirebirdsThe Indiana Firebirds were a team in the Arena Football League.The team was based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Home games were played at the Conseco Fieldhouse, also the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball...
: He had a solid year,making 58 receptions for 908 yards (15.66 yards per rec. avg.) and 15 touchdowns on offense, and 22 tackles and two pass deflections on defense. - 2001 - Indiana FirebirdsIndiana FirebirdsThe Indiana Firebirds were a team in the Arena Football League.The team was based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Home games were played at the Conseco Fieldhouse, also the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball...
: Hopkins was a strong candidate for "Ironman of the Year" honors. On offense, he made 102 receptions for 1,226 yards (12.02 yards per rec. avg.) and 18 touchdowns. On defense, he made 0.5 sack, 34 tackles, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two interceptions, and three pass deflections. - 2002 - Los Angeles AvengersLos Angeles AvengersThe Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
: Hopkins had a spectacular year, and won first team All-Arena honors, All-Ironman honors (at both WR and LB), and was voted "Ironman of the Year." He finished the year with 102 receptions for 1,185 receiving yards (11.62 yards per rec. avg.) and 29 touchdowns on offense. As a linebacker, he posted five interceptions, 45 tackles, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. - 2003 - Los Angeles AvengersLos Angeles AvengersThe Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
: Hopkins had another superb year and made 87 receptions for 1192 yards and won All-Arena honors after the conclusion of the season.
On June 17, 2007, his number, #82, was officially retired by the Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
during a halftime ceremony.
Political career
In 2006, Hopkins was the RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
from that state's 50th Legislative District, which includes all of Greene County
Greene County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 40,672 people, 15,060 households, and 10,587 families residing in the county. The population density was 71 people per square mile . There were 16,678 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
and small parts of Washington
Washington County, Pennsylvania
-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 152,534 registered voters in Washington County .* Democratic: 89,027 * Republican: 49,025 * Other Parties: 14,482...
and Fayette
Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....
counties. He received approximately 47 percent of the vote against the district's longtime incumbent legislator, Bill DeWeese
H. William DeWeese
H. William "Bill" DeWeese, is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and has served as 135th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House in 1993-1994...
, winning in Greene County and losing by small margins in the other counties.
Hopkins announced that he would make a second run for the Republican nomination for the seat in 2008. He was defeated by the incumbent, Bill DeWeese
H. William DeWeese
H. William "Bill" DeWeese, is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and has served as 135th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House in 1993-1994...
.