Tysen-Otis Copeland (born August 24, 1997) is a Canadian professional football defensive back for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played U Sports football for the Montreal Carabins and was selected in the fourth round (33rd overall) of the 2022 CFL Draft.
| No. 32 Montreal Alouettes | |
 Copeland with the Montreal Alouettes in 2023 | |
| Born: | August 24, 1997 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| Status | Active |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | Defensive back |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Weight | 203 lb (92 kg) |
| University | Montreal |
| CFL draft | 2022, round: 4, pick: 33 |
| Drafted by | Montreal Alouettes |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2022–present | Montreal Alouettes |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career stats | |
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Early life
editCopeland was born and raised in the West Island area of Montreal. He started playing football at a young age in the Sunnybrooke program, and then played bantam with Ile Perrot Patriotes. In high school, he played for the Intrépides du Chêne-Bleu and became the first player from the program to go pro.[1]
University career
editCopeland played for the John Abbott Islanders before joining the Montreal Carabins. Despite being injured for part of the 2021 season, he made two interceptions and completed 20.5 tackles.[2]
Professional career
editIn the 2022 CFL Draft, Copeland was selected in the fourth round as the 33rd overall pick by the Montreal Alouettes. This selection made him the first player from his high school to be drafted in the CFL.[1] He did not appear in any games as a rookie.[3]
Copeland was put on the practice roster to start the 2023 season, but made his professional debut in week 9, on August 5, 2023, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[4][5] He played in nine games in 2023 where he had six special teams tackles and one fumble recovery.[5]
Personal life
editCopeland is committed to maintaining a disciplined training regime and follows a strict diet. His primary motivation in football is the love for the sport, rather than financial incentives.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b Lidbetter, Mark (May 18, 2022). "Alouettes' draft pick Tysen-Otis Copeland getting his shot at turning pro". The Suburban.
- ^ Asselin, Philippe (May 4, 2022). ""J'ai hâte de représenter ma ville" - Tysen-Otis Copeland". Le Journal de Montréal (in French).
- ^ "Tysen-Otis Copeland". Pro Football Archives.
- ^ "Cutdown Tracker: Teams make their final roster moves". Canadian Football League. June 2, 2023.
- ^ a b "Games Notes" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ "Un petit rêve devenu réalité pour un grand joueur de football de Pincourt". Vaudreuil-Soulanges.