Copper thankful to overcome injury

Copper thankful to overcome injury

By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Terrance Copper actually contemplated early retirement. A freak injury scared the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver/special teams ace enough to have a long talk with his wife, Kandy, about hanging up the cleats and shoulder pads for good.

Copper, a former standout at Washington High School and East Carolina University, suffered a neck injury while making a special teams tackle in the team’s 41-13 victory over the Houston Texans on Nov. 9. Racing down on kickoff coverage, Copper’s facemask struck the return man’s chest and his neck whipped back, causing nerve damage.

“It was definitely scary,” Copper said. “I couldn’t feel my arm. It felt numb; like it was hanging on there by the meat. I couldn’t move my arm and I couldn’t lift anything.”

Not only has Copper not been able to play in games since the injury, but the fifth-year veteran hasn’t even been able to practice.

“It’s frustrating,” Copper said. “I can’t help the team. I can’t even practice. I’m new to the team and I want to show them what kind of player I am.

“It’s a humbling experience. I’ve felt lost at times. I’m not used to missing playing time because of an injury. I was down all the time because all I could do was watch.”

Copper, who has also played with the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints in his NFL career, went through a series of tests to figure out what exactly was wrong with him. He had a CT scan, MRI, X-ray and even went to a spine specialist.

“I definitely thought about retiring when it first happened,” Copper said. “We didn’t know what was going on. The doctors finally figured out that I had nerve damage and I couldn’t practice until it was healed.

“It really scared me. I thought (the injury) was something that might keep happening, but the doctors said I just had to let it heal.”

Copper was so weak on his left side that he couldn’t hold a cell phone in his left hand for more than 30 seconds without dropping it. He also struggled to curl 20-pound weights.

“I definitely have a new outlook on things,” Copper said. “You can’t take the little things for granted. I’ve been rehabbing and getting stronger. I just realized that I have to treasure my body, and not just because I need it for my profession.”

Copper, who missed Wednesday’s practice, is hoping to rejoin the team today. He said it will be up to the coaches whether he can play for the Ravens (7-4) in Sunday’s game at the Cincinnati Bengals (1-9-1).

He’s hoping to help contribute to the team, and keep the Ravens’ playoff hopes alive. Baltimore returns home Dec. 7 for an evening game against the Washington Redskins. Baltimore closes out the season with a home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 14, an away game at the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 20 and a home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 28.

“I’ll tell you something about Raven football, we work very hard,” Copper said. “I’ve been to Dallas and New Orleans and nobody practices like the Ravens.

“This is a good group of guys, from the coaches to the players. It’s a good place to play and I’m happy to be here.”

As Copper sits down at the Thanksgiving table for dinner with his family, he realizes what’s important.

“I’m very thankful for my family,” Copper said. “I’m thankful I wasn’t injured more badly where I could have been paralyzed. I’m thankful for my health. A lot of people take their health for granted, and I used to do that. I won’t be doing that any more.”

Copper, who wanted to ensure his fans that he doesn’t plan on retiring any time soon, passed some blessings along.

“I want to wish my friends, family and everybody in Washington a happy Thanksgiving,” he said. “Be thankful for the little things.”