Long before NFL scouts came calling, before the roaring arenas and bright lights of indoor football, Greg Hopkins was just a kid from the backroads of Greene County, cleats caked in dirt, and a relentless work ethic molded by his family and small-town roots.

Hopkins grew up in Nineveh, a rural southwestern Pennsylvania community along Route 18 near Waynesburg. A multi-sport athlete at West Greene High School, Hopkins excelled in football, wrestling and baseball. But midway through his junior year, a teacher strike derailed normalcy and changed the course of his life.

“It was a big adjustment,” Hopkins said. “When you’re 16 or 17, you’ve got your clique of friends and just want to fit in. I left all my best friends to go to my rival high school. All of a sudden, I’m now teammates with people you’d grown up competing against. It was a tough transition — on a personal level and an athletic one.”

Still, Hopkins made the best of it. Though he had played running back his whole life, he shifted to quarterback as a senior, a decision that showcased his versatility and leadership. On the mat, he was a state runner-up in wrestling and received more attention from recruiters in that sport. However, his heart was on the gridiron.

“I liked football better,” he said. “Wrestling taught me a lot, the discipline, the individual accountability, but football just always felt like home.”

That passion landed him at Slippery Rock University, where he played wide receiver. The shift from small-town high school life to college athletics was a culture shock, but also an opportunity.

“Growing up, there’s not a lot of cultural diversity,” Hopkins said. “But college opened my eyes. The friends I made, the competition I faced, it helped me grow. That high school transition really prepared me. I’ve done that a few times throughout my life: got thrown into something unfamiliar, and found my way.”

Hopkins juggled football and academics, studying environmental science after deciding against transferring to West Virginia University to pursue architecture.

“I thought about it,” he said. “But WVU didn’t have architecture, and after talking with a coach, I stuck with environmental science. I liked the idea of working outdoors, learning how to help the environment. I stayed the course.”

Despite playing at a Division II school, NFL attention came. Scouts from multiple teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, came to Slippery Rock to check him out.

“If you’re good enough, they’ll find you,” Hopkins said. “That was something I always believed, and it turned out to be true.”

While an NFL roster spot didn’t materialize, Hopkins made the leap to the Arena Football League. He had a short stint with the Ottawa Renegades in the Canadian Football League before landing with the Albany Firebirds, where he became a fan favorite.

“The adjustment was tough at first,” he said. “The indoor game is faster. The rules are different. I had to learn how to be a receiver all over again, but it helped me become a better football player. In Albany, I was a big fish in a small pond. I embraced the challenge.”

And he didn’t just play receiver. Hopkins was the kind of rare athlete who could line up on both sides of the ball and make plays on special teams.

“Playing offense, defense and special teams, that was new to me,” he said. “Before that, I only had to worry about one job. But that versatility became a strength.”

His coaches also seemed to notice.

“Greg was the best athlete I ever coached,” said Jeff Metheny, who coached Hopkins with the Firebirds. “He was an excellent wrestler and a great football player. But more importantly, you couldn’t find a better role model. A better athlete? Sure. But a better person? That’s rare. I credit his mom and dad, they gave him a great support system.”

Mike Dailey, Hopkins’ former high school coach, still believes he had what it took to play on Sundays.

“He was fiercely competitive, always worked hard, played hard and contributed on both sides of the ball,” Dailey said. “I thought he could’ve made it to the NFL.”

Hopkins eventually transitioned into coaching, joining the Los Angeles Avengers staff. He brought the same intensity and attention to detail into that chapter of his life.

“I always knew I wanted to coach,” Hopkins said. “Being around the game, helping the next generation, it just felt right. Flying back and forth, being in the public eye, it gave me a comfort level that helped me later on when I ran for office.”

That step into public service was a natural evolution for Hopkins. Having experienced life across the country, from the farm to the field to the big city, he developed a deeper appreciation for the broader world outside of Greene County.

“When you live in the same place your whole life, you forget how different things can be,” he said. “Traveling, playing, coaching, it opened my eyes. But no matter where I went, I always came back to what grounded me.”

That grounding force is now his family farm, a property that includes a general store opened by his grandfather in 1946. There, Hopkins finds purpose and peace, far removed from the spotlight.

“I’m happiest on the farm,” he said. “It’s time-consuming, but I’m grateful. There’s something about working the land, being around family and giving back to the community that raised you.”

Now a father, mentor, and steward of a family legacy, Hopkins carries every lesson with him, from the football field to the wrestling mat to the wide-open pastures of Nineveh.

His story isn’t about fame or fortune. It’s about resilience. About adapting to change. About doing what’s right, even when it’s hard.

From small-town star to arena standout, from coach to public servant, Hopkins has always found a way forward, driven by faith, family and a fierce commitment to doing things the right way.

“I’ve worn a lot of hats,” he said. “Player, coach, candidate, farmer, but through it all, I’ve just tried to stay true to who I am.”