By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Terrance Copper couldn’t exhale until the final roster was posted.
Although Copper has played in the NFL the previous four years, he still didn’t take making the New Orleans Saints roster for granted. He did for the third time, and he’ll begin his fifth NFL season when the Saints take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today in the Superdome.
Copper, a former standout with the Washington Pam Pack and East Carolina Pirates, is coming off a solid preseason.
Copper is one of six wide receivers on the New Orleans roster. He’ll be joined once again by Marques Colston, David Patten, Devery Henderson, Robert Meacham and Lance Moore. Patten, Henderson, Meacham and Moore all joined Copper at his first “Terrance Copper Football Camp” in Washington this summer.
The 6-0, 207-pound Copper has 46 receptions for 600 yards and six touchdowns in his career.
After signing with Dallas as a free agent, he played with the Cowboys for two years where he finished with eight catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Copper played the last two years with the Saints. Copper had 38 receptions for 511 yards and five touchdowns in that time, including 15 catches for 156 yards and two scores last season.
While he’s hoping for a bigger season this year, Copper knows that much of his value is on special teams.
Copper has 24 kickoff returns for 467 yards (19.5 average), 37 special teams tackles and a fumble recovery in his career.
As Copper and the Saints were preparing for today’s season opener, the team was forced to practice the past week in Indianapolis because of Hurricane Gustav. Copper said the team had strong practices, but their minds did drift at times.
Copper is happy to be home, and is glad the Saints will be able to open the season in the Superdome.
He’s hoping the Saints can get off to a strong start, something the team didn’t do last year.
Copper is hoping he and the Saints will have a solid season.
While he’s focused on the Buccaneers, Copper said he’s excited about the first road game of the season, a trip to play the Washington Redskins on Sept. 14. He’s expecting to see some familiar faces in the stands.
Copper will play relatively close to home again on Oct. 19 when the Saints play at the Carolina Panthers.
One day before the start of the season, while getting ready to watch ECU play West Virginia, Copper was ready for some football.