Danny Copeland
{{Short description|American football player (born 1966)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Danny Copeland
| number = 25, 26
| position = Safety
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|1|24}}
| birth_place = Camilla, Georgia, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lb = 210
| high_school = Thomas County Central
(Thomasville, Georgia)
| college = Eastern Kentucky
| draftyear = 1988
| draftround = 9
| draftpick = 244
| pastteams =
- Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|1988}})
- Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|1989|1990}})
- Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|1991|1993}})
| highlights =
| statlabel1 = Interceptions
| statvalue1 = 2
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 1
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 7
| pfr = CopeDa20
}}
Danny Lamar Copeland{{cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=COPELDAN01 |title=Danny Copeland |access-date=2008-09-25 |publisher=databasefootball.com |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015223442/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=COPELDAN01 |archive-date=2012-10-15 }} (born January 24, 1966) is an American former professional football safety who played five seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He started in Super Bowl XXVI for the Washington Redskins.
College career
He played college football at Eastern Kentucky University.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ekusports.com/mobile/index.aspx?story=6834 |title=EKU Athletics Inducts Six Individuals and a Team of Distinction Into Hall of Fame |access-date=2011-08-31 |archive-date=2011-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928154546/http://www.ekusports.com/mobile/index.aspx?story=6834 |url-status=dead }}
Professional career
Copeland was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the ninth round of the 1988 NFL draft with the 244th overall pick.{{Cite web |title=1988 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1988/draft.htm |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/redskins/longterm/1997/history/allart/dw1992b.htm |title=Redskins Recover, Pounce on Cowboys, 20–17 |access-date=2008-09-25 |author=Richard Justice |date=December 14, 1992 |newspaper=The Washington Post }} 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.{{cite news|title=Copeland's early retirement catches Redskins off guard|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4eYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uAcGAAAAIBAJ&dq=danny%20copeland&pg=6904%2C399986|newspaper=The Free Lance-Star|date=May 4, 1994}} He stated injuries and reduced desire to play as the reasons for his retirement at the age of 28. He had 327 tackles and two interceptions in his three seasons as a Redskin.
Personal life
Since retiring from football, Copeland moved back to Georgia and founded COGI Athletic Company, Inc. He is also a motivational speaker.{{cite news|title=NFL star Danny Copeland coming home for Meigs reunion|url=http://www.moultrieobserver.com/news/local_news/nfl-star-danny-copeland-coming-home-for-meigs-reunion/article_38103c5a-d2d0-11e5-a3eb-8f906d0f1b26.html|publisher=The Moultrie Observer|date=February 13, 2016}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Browns1988DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl XXVI}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Copeland, Danny}}
Category:People from Camilla, Georgia
Category:American football safeties
Category:Eastern Kentucky Colonels football players
Category:Kansas City Chiefs players