BYU's Poppinga fighting to start for Pack

Brady Poppinga says championship teams need players who care only about winning, not about who gets to stand in the spotlight.

The veteran Green Bay Packers linebacker insists he's one of those guys.

"You can't lose focus on what's truly important, and what's truly important is winning a championship," Poppinga said. "You look at the model, it's the New England Patriots. I think they're one of the most successful teams this decade, that's the model that they've established and worked for them. (They) have a bunch of team guys, whether this guy gets the credit or that guy gets the credit, they don't care. They want to win the Super Bowl."

But don't take that to mean that Poppinga isn't excited about the prospect of leapfrogging a pair of recent high-profile draft picks to open the season as a starting outside linebacker in the Packers' new 3-4 defense.

"It does not mean that I'm not ambitious, and that I'm not giving my very best and I'm not going to go out and strive to be whatever I need to be in order to help this team win," Poppinga said.

For the moment, at least, the Packers need Poppinga to start.

The fifth-year veteran wasn't expected to be in this position coming into training camp, given the competition at outside linebacker. Despite having to make the difficult transition from pass-rushing defensive end to outside linebacker, Aaron Kampman wasn't going to be challenged for a starting job on one side.

And Poppinga had a pair of recent draft picks in front of him on the other side, first-round rookie Clay Matthews III and last year's fourth-round pick, Jeremy Thompson. But Thompson is gradually returning to action after sustaining a stinger, and Matthews continues to sit out with a nagging hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, Poppinga came up with an interception and a fumble recovery in Saturday's preseason victory over Buffalo.

"He's taken advantage of his opportunities, and you like to see that," Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. "Brady has the kind of temperament you like on defense. He's a physical player, he plays the run well, he's going to give you everything he has. And he certainly was in the right place Saturday night."

Nobody questions Poppinga's intense attitude and physical playing style, but there are questions about whether he has full skill set to make the job his own.