Danny Lamar Copeland[1] (born January 24, 1966) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. He started in Super Bowl XXVI for the Washington Redskins.
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| Position | Safety | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | January 24, 1966 Camilla, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Thomas County Central (Thomasville, Georgia) | ||||||||
| College | Eastern Kentucky | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1988: 9th round, 244th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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College career
editHe played college football at Eastern Kentucky University.[2]
Professional career
editCopeland was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the ninth round of the 1988 NFL draft with the 244th overall pick.[3] The lone touchdown of his career came in a 1992 game against the Dallas Cowboys, when he recovered a fumble in the end zone with about three minutes left in the game, giving the Redskins a 20–17 win.[4] Copeland surprised the Redskins by announcing his retirement before the 1994 season despite the fact that he had started 14 games and recorded 125 tackles the previous season.[5] He stated injuries and reduced desire to play as the reasons for his retirement at the age of 28.[5] He had 327 tackles and two interceptions in his three seasons as a Redskin.[5]
Personal life
editSince retiring from football, Copeland moved back to Georgia and founded COGI Athletic Company, Inc. He is also a motivational speaker.[6]
References
edit- ↑ "Danny Copeland". databasefootball.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
- ↑ "EKU Athletics Inducts Six Individuals and a Team of Distinction Into Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
- ↑ "1988 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ↑ Richard Justice (December 14, 1992). "Redskins Recover, Pounce on Cowboys, 20–17". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
- 1 2 3 Yancey, Matt (May 4, 1994). "Copeland's early retirement catches Redskins off guard". The Free Lance-Star. Associated Press. Retrieved October 6, 2025 – via Google News.
- ↑ "NFL star Danny Copeland coming home for Meigs reunion". The Moultrie Observer. February 13, 2016.