No. 92 | |||||||||||
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Position: | Defensive lineman | ||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Born: | Lanett, Alabama, U.S. | September 20, 1970||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
Weight: | 285 lb (129 kg) | ||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
High school: | Valley (Valley, Alabama) | ||||||||||
College: | Alabama | ||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1993 / round: 1 / pick: 5 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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John Anthony Copeland (born September 20, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the University of Alabama, was recognized as an All-American and was a member of a national championship team in 1992. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 1993 NFL draft, and he played his entire pro career for the Bengals.
Copeland was born in Lanett, Alabama. [1] He attended Valley High School in Valley, Alabama, [2] where he played high school football for the Valley Rams.
Copeland initially attended Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi, but later received an athletic scholarship to transfer to the University of Alabama, and played for coach Gene Stallings' Alabama Crimson Tide football teams. Paired with fellow defensive end Eric Curry on opposite ends of the Crimson Tide's defensive line, the two ends were key contributors to the team's No. 1 ranked defense in 1992, when both of Curry and Copeland were recognized as consensus first-team All-Americans. As a senior, he was a member of the Crimson Tide team that won the consensus national championship by defeating the Miami Hurricanes 34–13 in the Sugar Bowl.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Copeland in the first round (fifth pick overall) of the 1993 NFL draft. [3] He played for the Bengals from 1993 to 2000. [4] In eight NFL seasons, he played in 107 regular season games, started 102 of them, and compiled 324 tackles, 24.0 quarterback sacks, nine forced fumbles, three interceptions and a touchdown on a fumble recovery . [4]
Year | Team | Games | Combined Tackles | Tackles | Assisted Tackles | Sacks | Forced Fumbles | Fumble Recoveries |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | CIN | 14 | 47 | 42 | 5 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 |
1994 | CIN | 12 | 40 | 35 | 5 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
1995 | CIN | 16 | 61 | 53 | 8 | 9.0 | 2 | 0 |
1996 | CIN | 13 | 40 | 33 | 7 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 |
1997 | CIN | 15 | 49 | 35 | 14 | 3.0 | 0 | 2 |
1998 | CIN | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
1999 | CIN | 16 | 37 | 28 | 9 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 |
2000 | CIN | 16 | 39 | 32 | 7 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 |
Career | 107 | 318 | 263 | 55 | 24.0 | 8 | 3 |
He was the head coach and off-season strength and conditioning coach for the Tuscaloosa Academy Knights in Tuscaloosa, Alabama but was relieved of his duties on July 29, 2020. [6]
Lee Roy Jordan is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he played 14 years in the NFL for the Cowboys from 1963 to 1976. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
Evan Bradley Mathis is an American former football guard who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft. Mathis also played for the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals.
Michael Myers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
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Collie Antonio Langham is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the University of Alabama, and was recognized as an All-American. Selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1994 NFL draft, Langham also played professionally for the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots of the NFL.
Andre Dewayne Smith Jr. is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2008. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft with the sixth overall pick. He also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, and Baltimore Ravens.
Eric Felece Curry is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1990s. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and earned consensus All-American honors. A first-round pick in the 1993 NFL draft, he played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.
The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's third season under head coach Gene Stallings. They played their home games at both Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished the season undefeated with a record of 13–0 and as National Champions. The team was noted especially for its strong defense, which led the nation in fewest points allowed and, in a strong bowl game performance, prevented defending national champion Miami from scoring an offensive touchdown.
Todd Eric Kelly is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker/defensive end for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round of the 1993 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, where he was a captain of the 1992 team, and received All-SEC and All-American AP honors.
Javier E. Arenas is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). Arenas played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, earned consensus All-American honors, and was a member of a BCS National Championship team. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL), and the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
James Arthur Spencer, Jr. is an American former college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Spencer played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos of the NFL.
John Mitchell Jr. is an American former football coach and collegiate player. Over the course of his career, Mitchell has broken several racial barriers, one of which was being the first black player for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He served on the staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1994 until his retirement following the 2022 season.
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Jim Bunch is a former American football player and businessman. He played offensive tackle for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide from 1976 through 1979 and was a member of the 1978 and 1979 national championship teams and a consensus selection to the 1979 College Football All-America Team. After his collegiate career, Bunch played one season as a semi-professional with the West Virginia Rockets. After his playing career ended, Bunch entered the hospitality business. Presently Bunch serves as an innkeeper at Winston Place, a bed and breakfast listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Valley Head, Alabama.
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Tommy Wilcox is an American television personality and former college football player. He played defensive back for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide from 1979 through 1982 and was a member of the 1979 national championship team and was a consensus selection to the 1981 College Football All-America Team. Presently Wilcox serves as the host of a hunting and fishing show entitled "Tommy Wilcox Outdoors."
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