Memory VolT: Coach Copeland reflects on Vols, CFL, and more

A two sport star in the small town of Harriman, Tennessee. Whether it was his #3 blue jersey scoring touchdown after touchdown, or his blue and white #34 basketball jersey flying high in the air for a dunk, Jeremaine Copeland always had the thirst to compete. An all-state performer in both sports, the decision on college would come down to two schools.

"Whenever I was coming out and looking at the entire situation, of course Tennessee was die hard because I'm from around here," Copeland said. "The other opportunity I had was to go to North Carolina and play basketball there. Those were my two options. I had a lot of stuff from other schools but I knew if I was going to play football it was Tennessee and if it was basketball it was the Tar Heels."

Copeland signed with the Vols in the end, and it was a dream that was never truly realized that put Tennessee over the top.

"The final deal was, me and my dad were talking and I knew Peyton was there as a freshman and I knew he was going to be good," Copeland said. "I decided that if I went to Tennessee, I could sit behind him and learn for two years. He would run the team and I'd learn in the meeting rooms and understanding what was going on. I had it in my mind that I'd be able to start at the University of Tennessee for my junior and senior year. That ended up changing because Peyton stayed for his senior season."

Copeland would eventually move to wide receiver before his junior season and he never looked back. He never wanted to bounce back and forth. He found his new home and went to work.

"They let me play a little bit my sophomore year, but I was the backup behind Peyton so I couldn't play too much in fear of me getting hurt. They were letting me toy around with it and I caught something like 19 passes that year. Tee came in that next year and that spring I switched over and it worked out."

He caught 131 passes for 1,300 yards during his just over two years of playing wide receiver for the Vols. Several different factors helped him in the transition, but his competitiveness was what drove him to his success.

"I think understanding the quarterback position and the timing of when the ball needs to be thrown," Copeland said. "One thing I did well was run routes. I always hung my hat on running good routes and my ability to catch the ball. A lot of times at wide receiver, you are in position to make plays because that's what you are there to do. If you can make the plays when they aren't there to be made then it's going to make you stand out. Some guys don't have that ability, but myself, I think I was one of the best at being able to be guarded and still win one on one battles for the ball."

There are countless memories for the man his teammates call, "Cope" and the old quarterback in him still recalls his first snaps as a freshman quarterback.

"One of my favorite moments was when I was at quarterback," Copeland said. "As a youngster in 95', we were getting killed by Florida and finally in the fourth quarter they took Peyton out and put me in. Florida had their #1 defense still in the game and I drove us right down the field and I scored a touchdown. I got in the endzone running the option and it gave me confidence that I could do something at the college level."

"At wide receiver, it was Southern Miss my junior year. I had 11 or 12 catches and when I got a lot of catches, I was having a good time on the field. I think anybody is when the ball is coming their direction. Peyton and I were on that game and I was catching everything he threw my way."

There was the one handed stab inside the swamp two years after his first collegiate touchdown. A play that he describes as just going and getting a rebound. Then there was a score later that year against Alabama that still makes the highlight films almost 20 years later.

"You could see the whole play and Peyton was pointing at the safety," Copeland said. “If the safety blitzed I was supposed to run a slant. Peyton is pointing and we both think he is going to blitz because he is so close. At the last second on the snap, he bails out and so instead of running the slant, I stayed skinny and kept the guy guarding me on the outside of me and put the safety on the inside. Peyton with the trust he had in me, just threw the ball high. I went up over the top of both of them and I brought it down. He and I got back to the sideline and just laughed at we could do when we just go make plays."

Copeland loves his Vols. He loves to get back home and see his beloved Harriman Blue Devils play. This season, his alma mater beat rival Kingston for the first time since Copeland dominated under the Friday night lights. And then there is his other football home, the house the General built. Time has flown by since he ran through the T for the final time in 1998.

"It hits everyone," Copeland said. "When you are VFL and you have put in your time and work, it means so much to go through the T that final time. You go through by yourself. It's emotional and I know I shed a tear myself. I didn't know what would happen in those last few games. We were undefeated and had it all in front of us, but I knew I had a blast during my four years and my time was well spent."

After bouncing around in the NFL for a few years which also included stops in NFL Europe and the CFL, Copeland found a home in the CFL. The move helped shape who he is and left quite the impression.

"It was probably the funnest time I had on the football field," Copeland said. "In the CFL, you have to throw the ball a lot and that's the high power part of being the CFL as a receiver. Being there in Canada is awesome with the fan support . I went in 2002 and we ended up winning the Grey Cup in Montreal and I saw about 300 thousand people at the Grey Cup celebration and that's when I fell in love with it. I think that's what it's all about."

Copeland retired on July 25, 2012. Since that day, he came home and completed his degree at Tennessee and then returned to Canada to coach wide receivers for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.