By 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As Copper sits down at the Thanksgiving table for dinner with his family, he realizes what’s important.
Copper, who wanted to ensure his fans that he doesn’t plan on retiring any time soon, passed some blessings along.