When LSU's 275-pound battering ram of a fullback finally realizes his NFL dream, he'll have two families cheering him on draft day: The one he was born to, and the one that took him in when he was in high school.
Copeland shared the story of his surrogate family Wednesday in a revealing feature story at lsureveille.com. Copeland's high school football coach, Bubba Jeter, took Copeland in at a time when the star player wanted to lessen the burden on his mother, who was struggling to find work and care for his three sisters.
"My momma was trying to support all of us but she couldn't really get a good job, so she moved," Copeland said.
And so did Copeland. First, staying nights alternately with various members of Jeter's coaching staff, then ultimately, a fixed residence under Jeter's roof.
"It's just amazing because they don't see color or anything," Copeland said. "Some people might say you're family, but with them, I know I'm family."
Still, Copeland said he had a hard time accepting the benefits of living with the Jeters when he knew his biological family continued to struggle.
"Just being able to keep my head on straight without worrying about my mom and family was kind of hard," Copeland said. "In the back of my mind I'm thinking, 'Hey, I'm blessed and I have all these nice things but there's no way my family is eating like me.'"
Copeland is among the nation's top fullbacks and has become an occasional rushing threat, as well. And he has an NFL payday on his mind.
"They're the reason why I play," Copeland said of his mother and sisters. "Knowing that this game can give me and my family a place to stay and a big house and to be able to provide for them and sacrifice the way they did for me is an amazing thing."
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
