Brandon Copeland was hardly a sure thing to stick in the NFL. He was an undrafted linebacker out of University of Pennsylvania, a school known for its academic prowess and not for its football team.
But Copeland, who signed with the Patriots this offseason, felt his time a Penn set him up to last in the NFL, now that he’s gotten his foot in the door. He is starting his eighth season in the league, and he feels his versatility has been hugely influential in creating staying power. And that versatility — which stems from his ability to learn quickly and expansively — is due to his experience with the academic rigors of an Ivy League school.
There was a moment where Copeland realized just how important his Penn degree and, in turn, his versatility would be.
“In that fourth preseason game, I was sure I was probably going to be cut. I mean, I knew I had to be a camp body, to be quite honest with you. Looking at the linebacker room with Jameel McClain, Josh Bynes and Albert McClellan, who was here, a bunch of other guys. And the fourth preseason game, somebody went down right before and I played outside linebacker in a half, and in that old-school, fourth preseason game, you’re just trying to make it through,” Copeland said. “I had a bunch of tackles. I remember Ted Monachino calling from the sideline, telling me when to go and when to drop because I hadn’t practiced that at all the entire camp, but I did very well. I think I got like seven tackles in a quarter or something like that.
“And it’s funny thinking about it – that’s kind of my NFL career in terms of being able to be put in different situations and actually thrive. There wasn’t a class about this at Penn in terms of, ‘Hey, let’s be thrown into the fire or thrown into water and swim.’ But, being able to pick up information quickly and then use the athletic gifts to make sure that I can show off my talents, as well, has helped me and eight years later has worked out.”
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