Jeremaine Copeland habgs up his cleats

[bluto]

http://www.argonauts.ca/article/capt...peland-retires

ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF

MISSISSAUGA – After 11 seasons, more than 10,000 career receiving yards and two Grey Cup rings, WR Jeremaine Copeland has announced his retirement from the Canadian Football League.

Commented Copeland, “I would like to thank God first for blessing me with a great career and for allowing me to stay healthy and not having to miss a single season. Thanks to my family for all of their support throughout my career as well. I would like to thank the CFL organizations in Montreal, Calgary, and Toronto for allowing me to play in three of the greatest cities, the greatest organizations, and the greatest groups of fans in the CFL. It has been a great run and a lot of fun for me but I believe it's time to move on in my life. I would like to say thanks to all of my teammates that I played with and especially the two quarterbacks I played most of my career with - AC and Hank - who helped make my career what it was. Last but not least, I want to thank my receiving corps, who are all great groups of guys that made it fun to play the game of football.”

Throughout his time, Copeland was one of the most electrifying receivers in the CFL. His career numbers are extraordinary having caught 622 passes for 10,037 yards. He missed the CFL playoffs only twice and competed in nine playoff games, starting in three Grey Cup championship games. A two-time CFL All-Star (2003 & 2009), he has earned divisional all-star on three occasions (2003, 2004 & 2009). Copeland recorded five 1,000+ yard campaigns and 75 career receiving touchdowns, and he leaves the game as the CFL’s fifteenth-leading receiver all-time. He is also just the fifteenth player in league history to catch for more than 10,000 yards in a career.

Copeland joined the Argonauts before the 2010 season and was voted a team captain in each of his two years. Over two years he started 32 games and caught 91 passes for 1,272 and three touchdowns. He led the Argos in receiving yards in 2010.

Copeland’s CFL career began in 2002 as a member of the Montreal Alouettes. He played four seasons (2001-2004) with the Als and captured his first Grey Cup championship. He was traded to Calgary in 2005 and won his second Grey Cup in 2008. Copeland arrived in Toronto before the 2010 season, in a trade with the Stempeders, and played two seasons for the Argos. He’s also spent time in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys, and he was a member of the first and only XFL championship team, Los Angeles Xtreme, in 2001.

Copeland played four years (1995-98) at the University of Tennessee where he was recruited as a quarterback. He transitioned to receiver in his final two years and helped lead one of the greatest offences in NCAA history to a BCS National title in 1998.

Our thanks and best wishes to a great captain who entertained us in the CFL for many years.

Our SMS situation just got a bit of breathing room... very interested to see who Barker and Jones have as import receivers.

[paulwoods13]

This is good news. Copeland was a great leader and teammate but it was evident the last two seasons that he could no longer be a dominant receiver. I'm glad he chose to do this and did not put the team in the position of having to cut him or keep him.

[bluto]

and now the new receivers coach in Hamilsmell

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=386031

Makes sense. i had hoped he'd go into coaching since he is a natural leader and captain... not too sure how i feel about him being in Black and Yellow...

[Skinny G]

I thought (along with some others here) that he would potentially end up as the receivers coach in Toronto, with Maas becoming the QB coach.... so this is an interesting turn of events...

I think he could've had a year left in him... but thought he would've fit in well with the young coaches in Toronto... also, was Milanovich around in MTL while he was there? or were they together in Calgary?

[Will]

I am not surprised to see him go into coaching, although I'm not sure how I feel about him jumping to our biggest rival immediately after retirement albeit as a coach. As much as his stint in Toronto didn't live up expectations, he was still one of the top receivers of the last decade and he is to be congratulated for an excellent career in the CFL. It's unfortunate that the QB position was as unstable as it was here, which also played a factor in his decline in production. I nevertheless thank him for the veteran leadership he brought especially in 2010 when the team was coming off rock bottom.

[argonaut11xx]

if i was Ricky Ray..i'd be thinking...."who the F*ck am i going to throw to??"

there is now ZERO leadership on the recieving corps....

hopefully this free's up some cash to sign Fantuz

[bluto]

if i was Ricky Ray..i'd be thinking...."who the F*ck am i going to throw to??"

there is now ZERO leadership on the recieving corps....

hopefully this free's up some cash to sign Fantuz

i'd rather have Greg Carr... i don't think we'll get either, but it would be nice to rescue Carr from Manitoba while Mack sits on his hands not re-signing any of his own guys (all 3 QBs, Labatte, Oramasionwu, Carr...) or an OC.

[zontar]

i'd rather have Greg Carr... i don't think we'll get either, but it would be nice to rescue Carr from Manitoba while Mack sits on his hands not re-signing any of his own guys (all 3 QBs, Labatte, Oramasionwu, Carr...) or an OC.

Any other GM doing the same thing would be called "cheap". But by virtue of limping out of a weakened division to lose in the Grey Cup Mack is a "genius".

Re: Cope.
Should always have some quams about a guy jumping into a coaching gig with no formal experience But the reailty is Cortez runs the show, the whole show. "Coach" might be a formal name foir "helper" in this case.

[DanTheFan]

I'm surprised he didn't decide to stick it out for one more season. He was an entertaining player to watch when used more frequently in the offence. I look forward to see who we bring in to fill his spot.

[1argoholic]

Good for him and it was time to move on. Now we better get finding some receiver and backup qb talent. I don't see Bell being part of the mix from what he didn't show last year. One big contract down.

[Area 51]

i'd rather have Greg Carr... i don't think we'll get either, but it would be nice to rescue Carr from Manitoba while Mack sits on his hands not re-signing any of his own guys (all 3 QBs, Labatte, Oramasionwu, Carr...) or an OC.

I'd be thrilled with either one but if I had to choose, it would be Fantuz because of the non-import status. Can never overestimate the value of bringing in a Canadian that's one of the better players at his position. Especially if it gives them the ratio flexibility to have Boyd & Kackert on the field at the same time.

[paulwoods13]

if i was Ricky Ray..i'd be thinking...."who the F*ck am i going to throw to??"

there is now ZERO leadership on the recieving corps....

The most important leader on offence is the QB. We have that now, unlike last season. How important is leadership at receiver? Copeland was by all accounts a great leader and teammate, but that didn't lead to an effective passing game. And we don't know what some of our current receivers -- especially Boldin, Ballard and Tranks, if he is healthy -- are capable of. One or two of them might be great receivers and maybe even great leaders -- I'll take the former over the latter if given a choice, especially since we have a clear-cut leader at QB.

[ArgoRavi]

I thought (along with some others here) that he would potentially end up as the receivers coach in Toronto, with Maas becoming the QB coach.... so this is an interesting turn of events...

I think he could've had a year left in him... but thought he would've fit in well with the young coaches in Toronto... also, was Milanovich around in MTL while he was there? or were they together in Calgary?

Milanovich was the backup QB with the XFL's L.A. Xtreme when Copeland was a star receiver there. I don't believe that they ever crossed paths in the CFL though.

[gilthethrill]

I am glad to see Cope get into coaching, but not with Hamilton. I don't mean this as a dis, but if Jermaine was able to make the Argo roster in 2012, then our recieving core would be in trouble once again.

[ArgoGabe22]

I'm dissapointed he retired, I thought this was going be a great year with Ray at the helm. Wish the Argos hired him, maybe Cortez influenced his decision to retire. There is no way it was a coincediance he found a job the minute he retired, literally. Hamilton should get fined for this a la Barker lol

[1argoholic]

I think it would have been strange to him to become a coach in TO right off of playing last year.

[bluto]

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/01/25/copeland-retires-from-argos-joins-ticats-as-coach

Frank Zicarelli in the Sun with a good write up on Cope

[Will]

I think it would have been strange to him to become a coach in TO right off of playing last year.

Why? I don't think it's unprecedented.

[AngeloV]

I'm dissapointed he retired, I thought this was going be a great year with Ray at the helm.

You and me both AG. I personally think the Argos high school system had more to do with the lack of production than Cope's ability. I expected him to be our Ben Cahoon (minus the NI status) this year, getting the important first downs.

Wishing him the best.

[Wobbler]

How important is leadership at receiver?

To pointlessly answer your rhetorical question, not very. I don't think any of us were impressed with our offensive strategy last year, but receiving corps talent was our biggest problem on offense IMHO. Our guys didn't find seams against zone often enough and they couldn't beat man coverage often enough. Copeland was an (expensive) part of the problem and I'm happy to hear of his decision. I wish him luck in his new career!