Eddie Pope: Football [Soccer] Humanitarian

I have decided to continue the series of African American Soccer [Football] Players in order to commemorate February as African American Month. One of the players who have excelled in US Soccer [Football] is Eddie Pope. 

Eddie Pope came to the world on Christmas Eve 1973 in the town of Greensboro, North Carolina. His beginnings were like any child in the USA. He excelled in his studies and in sports. He started his sports career in his school Southwest Guilford High School and went to play for the North Carolina Tarheels. During this period, he earned the following awards and honours such as the All American, All-ACC, and the All South Regions before being selected as a second pick in the MLS College Draft by DC United. During his MLS Career from 1996 to 2007, he served as a defender for DC United, Metro Stars, and Real Salt Lake. He scored 10 goals within 255 appearances. He is the recipient of the MLS Humanitarian of the Year, MLS Fair Play Award, and a place in MLS Best XI.

His participation with the United States Soccer [Football] Team from 1996 to 2006 was marked with participation in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta Georgia, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and the FIFA World Cup. He managed to score 8 goals in 82 appearances. Unfortunately during his appearance in the 2006 World Cup, he unfairly received a red card during the USA Match against Italy. I feel that maybe the USA would have been able to defend itself if the red card had not been issued.

In 2007, Eddie Pope retired from Soccer [Football] secondary to health problems and complaints of constant pain. Since then, he has been concentrating on the Eddie Pope Foundation which aims to use Soccer [Football] as a vehicle to improve the health, mind, and soul of the underpriviledged. It is this reason and much more that Eddie Pope is a Soccer [Football] Humanitarian.