| No. 13 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1971-08-21)August 21, 1971 (age 54) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 280 lb (127 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Mission Viejo (CA) |
| College | Pacific |
| NFL draft | 1993: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at ArenaFan.com | |
Troy Kopp (born August 21, 1971) is a formerAmerican andCanadian footballquarterback in theArena Football League (AFL) andCanadian Football League (CFL). He played for theMemphis Pharaohs,Anaheim Piranhas andWinnipeg Blue Bombers. He playedcollege football at theUniversity of the Pacific.
Kopp attendedMission Viejo High School. As a freshman in 1985, his life was impacted after his father lost his job, forcing the family to spend their summer sleeping either in a tent or a van. Kopp lived with three different families, over the next 3 years, while attending school.[1]
As a senior, he was the top-ratedquarterback inOrange County and was named All-Southern inbaseball. He also selected by theMontreal Expos in the 58th-round as acatcher.[2]
Kopp accepted a football scholarship from theUniversity of the Pacific. As a true freshman, he started 9 out of 11 games, registering 138-of-241 completions (57.3%) for 1,510 yards, 11 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.[3]
As a sophomore, he sprained his left shoulder in the season opening loss against theUniversity of Tennessee, forcing him to miss two games.[4] After learning he wouldn't start the fourth game againstLong Beach State overquarterback Kris King, he quit the team and had to be persuaded to come back by head coachWalt Harris.[5] He regained his starting job in the fifth game against theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas. He made 31-of-52 completions for 515 yards and 7 passing touchdowns (school record) againstCal State-Fullerton. He passed for aBig West Conference single-game record of 564 yards againstNew Mexico State University, at the time it was the 10th best mark in college football history.[6] He became the first quarterback to have back-to-back 500-yard games in the air inNCAA history. He ran a version of therun and shoot offense known as "Air Pacific", ranking third in the nation in total offense, passing yards and passing touchdowns per game.[7] He finished with 244-of-428 completions (57.0%) for 3,311 yards, 31 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Inbaseball, theMontreal Expos selected him again in the 12th round of the amateur draft.
As a junior in 1991, he posted 275-of-449 completions (61.2%) for 3,767 yards, 37 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.[8] He led the NCAA in touchdown passes with 37, at the time the 18th most in NCAA history.[9]
As a senior, he sprained his ankle before the team's fifth game while playingWallyball, a hybrid of handball and volleyball, forcing him to miss three games. He set an NCAA career mark for most scores by a tandem withwide receiverAaron Turner during the season. Kopp made 141-of-256 completions (55.1%) for 1,670 yards, 8 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
He finished his college career owning most of the school's passing records, including passing yards in a game (564), passing yards in a single-season (3,767), passing yards in a career (10,258), touchdown passes in a single-season (37), touchdown passes in a career (87), completion percentage in a single-season (61.2%) and completion percentage in a career (58.1%). His career touchdown total of 87 ranked 12th most in NCAA history. He also competed inbaseball.
In 2007, he was inducted into the University of the Pacific Athletic Hall of Fame.[10]
Kopp played two seasons with theSan Jose SaberCats andMemphis Pharaohs in theArena Football League. He set a league record with 34 completions in a single-game.
In August 1998, he signed with theWinnipeg Blue Bombers of theCanadian Football League. Against theSaskatchewan Roughriders, he replacedT. J. Rubley late in the third quarter and orchestrated four touchdown drives in the fourth, for a 36–35 come from behind victory.[11] He was released in December 1999.
On April 24, 2000, he was signed by theCalgary Stampeders.[12] He threw 5 interceptions against theEdmonton Eskimos.[13] In two starts and other relief appearances, he collected 53-of-99 passes completions for 722 yards, one touchdown and 10 interceptions. He was released by the Stampeders on September 18.[14] He later suffered life threatening injuries in a car accident on September 27, but was able to recover.[15]
After retiring from professional football, he became an assistant football coach atSan Clemente High School.[16] As of 2025, he no longer coaches at San Clemente High School.