Anne Moore said her son, 6-year-old Bryson, was at a pool party Saturday when she saw him go under water and she began screaming for help.
"Leonard was inside, and he came out of nowhere and dove into the water without any hesitation, cell phone in his pocket and all," Moore told the Americus Times-Recorder.
Pope, responding to Moore's cries for help, said he could no longer see Bryson above the water.
"All I saw was his fingertips at the top of the water and I couldn't see his head," Pope told ESPN.
Pope said he has children of his own, and that he would want someone to do the same for them.
"I just knew I had to do something," he told the sports network.
Pope, a tight end with the Chiefs, is waiting for the NFL lockout to be resolved so he can prepare for next season.
"The fact that he is normally at camp and could have been in Kansas City just proved to me that he was placed here to save my son from drowning, and I thank God that he was here," Moore said.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Leonard Pope (45) celebrates with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 21, 2010 in Kansas City, Mo. / photo: Associated P
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