Marcus sat forward in his desk chair. After the hours he’d spent wondering about the mysterious Charlie, he’d never expected the guy’s life story to be so easy to find. Eagerly, he clicked on the top link. It was an article from the sports section of the Cincinnati Inquirer of February 18, 1991: BENGALS’ “KING OF POP” HANGS UP CLEATS Charlie Popovich has informed the Cincinnati Bengals organization of his retirement at age 36 after fourteen seasons, seven of those with the Bengals. The six-foot-three, 235-pound linebacker was credited with 1,097 career tackles, including 754 solo stops, 22.5 sacks, and seven interceptions. Originally selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 1977 NFL draft, the King of Pop soon became known throughout the league as a tenacious defender with a relish for intense physical contact. At the same time, Popovich developed a reputation both in San Diego and Cincinnati as a locker-room prankster, making him beloved and often feared by teammates and coaches alike....
