Former NFL center fielder Brandon Copeland he saw how his mother kept to a strict budget while raising him and his brother. She could afford to sign them up for sports and “make the magic happen at Christmas” by sacrificing other little luxuries: candy at the checkout or a McDonald’s soda. One day I would like to have money, Copeland thought at the time; I do not ever want to have to tell my children “no.”
Now a father of two, Copeland admits it was a somewhat “naive” way to think about the situation, but the experience motivated him to learn more about money. He then attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and interned at Union Bank of Switzerland.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Copeland Media. Brandon Copeland.
“I had to go to the Baltimore Ravens to find out what a 401(k) was.”
But it wasn’t until he joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2013 that he delved into the world of private finance and financial advocacy. The NFL Players Association began talking about the advantages, including a matching 401(k) — something no one had previously explained to him.
“I had to go to the Baltimore Ravens to find out what a 401(k) was,” Copeland says. “It’s a tool that most people who deal with an employer can use, but who taught my mom about 401(k)s? Who taught my brother about 401(k)s? Who taught someone I love about these things that are just real facts of life?”
At the time, Jameel McClain, a 10-year NFL veteran, told Copeland that professional football is a bit “like playing drugs”: You can make a lot of cash fast, but when it’s over, “you’re not dead or in jail.” It’s up to each player to determine what they walk away with—and what their life looks like.
Copeland decided to set himself up for financial success; he didn’t want to have to find one other job out of necessity once he left the NFL. So he began taking his funds seriously.
He focused on building up savings and extracting value wherever he could, including eating meals at the team facility, often packing an extra lunch for dinner at home. Copeland also began to “invest as much as possible” and “put as much money to work” as possible.
“I can make money off the pitch in significant amounts.”
Real estate has turn out to be a lucrative investment for Copeland, who was drawn to the idea after losing on options in 2013. “I don’t like losing,” he says, “but if I lose, I’d rather look back and say, ‘Well, I didn’t do that. I didn’t prepare well.’ It’s the same with football. If I’m going to lose, I want to know why I lost or have some control over something.”
Copeland stayed on the sidelines for a few years, learning every little thing he could about the real estate market. Eventually, in 2017, he bought five properties “without even looking.” It was “a terrible feeling,” Copeland recalls, but the risk paid off in a big way. Those properties have brought in six figures this yr, he says.
“The success kind of sucked me in,” Copeland explains, “but it also showed me, ‘Okay, I can make a lot of money off the field by doing this and using my mind.’”
Copeland also used his serious work ethic to succeed in the real estate industry. Despite his intense training schedule, he found time to learn the details that may give him an edge.
“I would be at the gym at 7 a.m., leave at 2 p.m., and then I would go to Whole Foods, buy groceries, and go to Home Depot,” Copeland says. “I would spend hours at Home Depot learning about carpet and nails and tile and windows and doors because I was afraid I was going to be ripped off. I was afraid someone would tell me how much something cost and I wouldn’t have any real insight into it. And I was the guy who lost all his money trusting people.”
Copeland says this commitment to education helped build his confidence in the real estate industry.
Copeland and his wife, Taylor Copeland, later began their very own real estate and development company. BTC InvestmentsWith a focus on creating recent infrastructure in underserved cities, BTC Investments boasts a $203 million investment portfolio spanning 354 acres of land development projects and 1,123 multifamily units.
Currently, BTC Investments is one of the subsidiaries of Copeland Media, alongside the financial education platform Life 101 AND Beyond the Basics Inc.that gives youth from underserved communities with reasonably priced, enriching experiences and opportunities.
“The key is to understand what you are really working on.”
Now Copeland is on a mission to “democratize access to financial information for people so we can level the playing field.”
Last yr, Copeland founded Sportspeople.orga non-profit organization that gives knowledge, access and protection to its members freed from charge.
“College sports are billions of dollars in the making, and college athletes deserve to have a piece of that,” Copeland says. “And now they’re finally getting a piece, but they also deserve to have a say in the terms of play with schools and universities and things like that.”
Copeland says greater than 3,000 college athletes have joined Athletes.org to date.
“Even though there are so many athletes, and the system will never be ‘perfect,’ the goal is to try to make sure that college athletes’ voices are heard,” Copeland explains. “And it’s not just about money; it’s also about health and safety protocols. It’s about making sure that there are people that college athletes can go to more quickly when someone is abusing their title and their power.”
In addition, Copeland taught a personal finance course at his alma mater called “Life 101,” which is now available online and gives students the opportunity to tackle real-world financial decisions like budgeting, investing and buying a automotive or a house. “If you can’t do that well, it’s hard to do anything else well,” he says.
Copeland’s first book on personal finance, Your Money Handbook: How to Earn More, Build Wealth, and Win at Life, was used in class and will likely be published on September 10.
One piece of recommendation Copeland gives to her students and anyone else who wants to take control of their financial future? Figure out why.
“Understanding what you’re really striving for is key to avoid becoming a hamster on a hamster wheel,” Copeland says.[Otherwise] you are going to work eternally: “Oh, I want to make money, I want to have this, and I want to have that.” Well, that is a goal that never ends.”