Horace Copeland

{{Short description|American football player (born 1971)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Horace Copeland | number = 88, 80 | position = Wide receiver | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|1|2|mf=y}} | birth_place = Orlando, Florida, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 3 | weight_lb = 200 | high_school = Maynard Evans<br/>(Orlando, Florida) | college = Miami (FL) | draftyear = 1993 | draftround = 4 | draftpick = 104 | pastteams = * Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|1993|1997}}) * Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|1998}}) * Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1998) * Oakland Raiders ({{NFL Year|1999}}) | highlights = * 2× National champion (1989, 1991) | statlabel1 = Receptions | statvalue1 = 115 | statlabel2 = Receiving yards | statvalue2 = 1,977 | statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns | statvalue3 = 7 | pfr = CopeHo00 }}

'''Horace Cornellius Copeland''' (born January 2, 1971) is an American former professional football player who played wide receiver for seven seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders. Copeland was selected in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL draft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1993 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1993/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-31 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

Copeland is a graduate of Maynard Evans High School in Orlando, Florida, where he also established state records in the high jump and long jump. His high school made it to the 6A Football State Championship, which helped him earn a scholarship to the University of Miami, where he played until his graduation.

Throughout his playing career in the NFL, Copeland frequently celebrated touchdowns by performing a backflip.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bucstop.com/video-vault/viewvideo/204/1987-1996/horace-copeland-does-a-backflip/Page-1.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-08-10 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118134149/http://bucstop.com/video-vault/viewvideo/204/1987-1996/horace-copeland-does-a-backflip/Page-1.html |archive-date=2013-01-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Copeland was also an accomplished long jumper for the Miami Hurricanes track and field team, placing 5th and earning All American status at the 1992 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.<ref>{{cite web |title=Horace Copeland - University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame |url=https://www.umsportshalloffame.com/horace-copeland.html |website=UM Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=1 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Copeland, Horace}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Orlando, Florida Category:American football wide receivers Category:Miami Hurricanes football players Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Category:Miami Dolphins players Category:Maynard Evans High School alumni Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Miami Hurricanes men's track and field athletes Category:American men long jumpers Category:Track and field athletes from Orlando, Florida