Brandon Copeland went undrafted after graduating from Penn. Seven years later, he’s playing for the Patriots.
The Patriots are Copeland's fifth team in eight NFL seasons.
Brandon Copeland is a Patriot — and that means something to him.
“There are certain things that you do in life where you have that tag line, so to speak, and you don’t have to explain anything else after that,” he said Wednesday.
Copeland, a linebacker who graduated with an economics degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, went undrafted in 2013. He’s since bounced around the league, having signed with the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, and New York Jets.
His most productive — and most recent — stint came as a member of the Jets. Over the course of those two seasons, he recorded 77 tackles, including 13 for a loss, 6.5 sacks, and 17 quarterback hits. He also forced a fumble.
Now, with the Patriots being his fifth team in eight NFL seasons, Copeland is still eager to contribute. As an opponent, he viewed the Patriots as “a team that does not make a lot of mistakes” because of their ability to move as a collective unit. He also highlighted the trust and chemistry he saw among the players.
“I told a couple of my buddies or just a random person, ‘Hey, I’m playing with the Patriots now,’ period,” Copeland said. “I hope this doesn’t come off as arrogant or anything like that, but it’s like at that point in time, whoever I’m talking to understands that I’m a legit player, right? Just because you wouldn’t make it into this organization unless you were.”
Copeland hasn’t been able to get settled in Foxborough, as a result of the league restrictions instituted during the coronavirus outbreak. The 28-year-old is working out from his townhouse in New Jersey, where he lives with his wife and soon-to-be 10-month-old son. He’s converted their one-car garage into a “pseudo-gym” to train.
While he wishes he could be training with his new teammates at Gillette Stadium, Copeland expressed gratitude to be able to spend more time with his family. This past week, for example, his son starting crawling, a milestone he probably would have missed had traditional offseason programs been taking place.
Copeland also has been keeping busy by teaching online financial literacy classes; organizing a virtual football camp through his foundation, Beyond the Basics; and donating meals to his hometown of Baltimore and the Boston area.
Once the team is able to get going, Copeland’s goal is to leave an imprint.
“I just want to leave my mark on everyone I come into contact with, whether that’s the player next to me, the player opposite me on the offensive side, the chef, the janitor, and the same thing for the Patriot fans and followers,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to, I think, personally leave a positive mark anywhere I go. For me, that is the most important thing.”
He doesn’t know what exactly his role will be — special teams seems to be a possibility — nor does he know jersey number he’s going to wear, but Copeland emphasized he’s going to “do everything necessary” so that he doesn’t leave any reps, practices, or games with regrets.
“When I step on the field, you know you’re going to get my all,” he said. “You know you’re going to get a fighter, you know you’re going to get a dog who’s going to work his tail off.”
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