Horace Copeland Talks To Joe
June 20th, 2010
Photo by Kyra Hallett -- JoeBucsFan.com
Joe couldn’t resist some one-on-one time with Horace Copeland, who electrified Tampa Stadium during his rookie season as a Bucs wide receiver in 1993. Copleland was signing autographs at Saturday’s FanFest with many Bucs alumni, Scot Brantley, Batman Wood — the list was long. Hi-C surely looks like he’s in game shape and ready for Monday’s minicamp.
Joe: If you could have five minutes with the Bucs’ heralded rookie receivers to give them advice, what would you tell them?
Horace Copeland: I would tell them to learn as much as they can. Don’t come in thinking you know it all. Because sometimes you come in and have a big chip on your shoulder. There’s a lot to be learned. And if you’re willing to be open minded, and learn to increase your skill, you become a better receiver.
Joe: You’ve watched Michael Clayton’s struggles and his fall from a great rookie season. At this point, what do you think he has to do to rise above and succeed? What’s your take on that?
Copeland: Sometimes you try be a leader of the receiver club; sometimes you put too much pressure on yourself. It’s a team effort. And the only thing you have to do is stay focused. Clayton should stay focused on the basics: catch balls, run good routes and you can’t control everything else. He has to stay focused on things he has to do, and I think he can survive and be a better receiver, if he just doesn’t put too much pressure on himself.
Joe: There was a lot of talk last year about poor chemistry with receivers and quarterbacks. The Bucs used three quarterbacks, really four if you count all the snaps Luke McCown got in preseason. Now they have Josh Freeman in place for an entire offseason. Does that really make a difference?
Copeland: It makes a huge difference. Absolutely. I remember back in the day in the offseason, not the minicamps. But Trent Dilfer and I would go out there, nothing mandatory, we just wanted to get better. So we took some of our spare time to work on the things we needed to work on, so we could get familiar with there. And then season comes along and we’re on the same page. …You do that, like Freeman was doing. You get more familiar with each other, and that’s how magic happens.
Joe: What are you up to these days? Do you live in town?
Copeland: I’m in Hernando County. I spend a lot of time with the family, and I do a lot of work with juveniles trying to encourage the kids who are dealing with a lot of issues. And I really enjoy that, So that’s what I’m doing right now, and I’ve been doing that for years. And I’m just spending more time with family.
June 20th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Great to see Hi-C still around and involved with the Bucs. Great seeing you at Fanfest, Horace !!
June 20th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
The media called him Hi-C the fans called him magic hand. Especially after the October game against Atlanta when he grabbed a 60 yard TD and a 40 yard TD from Craig Erickson burning none other than Deion Sanders. To bad he blew out his ACL he was never the same again. Still mad we dumped Craig for throw to the other team Dilfer.
June 20th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
I agree with you (topdoggie) about Erickson over Dilfer. Erickson was just coming into his own when McKay traded him to the Colts because he was in love with Dilfer. Because Harbaugh got hot at the time, Erickson languished on the bench and his skills eroded. Still remember when the Bucs were playing the Rams and faced with a fourth and one with the Bucs having a slim lead, Wyche trusted him enough to go long on a play action. Forgot who was the WR who caught the ball for a TD. Gutsy call. Last QB I saw a Bucs coah have enough trust in to do that. Thanks McKay.
June 20th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
High C….blew out his knee coming down with an over thrown Dilfer pass….
he was never the same player again….
June 20th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Joe here,
I think it was a patella like Caddy and an underthrown pass. Was trying to remember before I talked to him.
June 20th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
I can still see the play…
June 20th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Upon further recollection,Joe, I think you are correct about the ball being low, it was a intermediate crossing route with the ball tight between 2 defenders reaching out…..I was thinking of Lawarence Dawsey…. awkward high ball blown knee career.
June 20th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
If we could only be so lucky for the same to happen to the blocking icon….
oops did I just say that?? Take that off the record…
June 20th, 2010 at 11:01 pm
@drdneast That was the last game of the season against the Los Angles Rams. The score was 17 to 14. Erickson threw the ball last minutes of the game to Charles Wilson. We won 24 to 17.
@Joe you’re right he tore the patella tendon in his left knee.
@Radio Mushmouth We need Clayton to shine preseason so when there is an injury on another team and they are desperate we can get a draft pick for him. Hope we get a high one LOL. I like Clayton hope he gets a fresh start some where and has a good career. Just not to someone in our division.