Lain Copper has been playing football nearly his whole life and has faced several challenges on his journey to playing at the college level.
Now 19 years old, Copper started playing football at the age of five in kindergarten and has played ever since. He grew up in Newark, Ohio, just about 40 minutes outside of Columbus.
“The way it was formatted when I was in elementary school was, we started in kindergarten with flag football and then went from there,” said Copper.
“So, kindergarten through, like, grade school, I was a dog because I’m a big guy. I was always bigger than my opponent, so I didn’t have to put too much work in. Around mid-junior year going into senior year, I kind of had to realize that I have to put the extra effort in if I want to take the next step because pure size isn’t always enough,” Copper continued.
During his senior year, tragedy struck at Licking Valley High School, where Copper attended and played football. On Friday, September 23rd, 2022, there was an active shooter call to the school. While the call did end up being a hoax, and no shots were fired, the school was put on lockdown as soon as they heard the threats. Copper was in the cafeteria when the lockdown was announced.
“We got people into the girls’ locker room and boys’ locker room. I was there, getting them to sit down and stay quiet. I was ready to protect everyone. I have two siblings at the middle school, and my mom works in the cafeteria,” said Copper.
“There were seventh graders at the high school for choir. One girl looked at me and asked if she would ever see her mom again,” Copper continued.
While thankful there were no shots fired or injuries, this hoax had a huge impact on the Licking Valley community. With this occurring amid football season, this additional mental toll couldn’t go unnoticed by the players.
“Football has helped me become the man that I showed in that instance, I’m willing to put others before myself,” Copper stated.
“When it came to my senior year, I was getting less field time because the coach’s son had a friend on the team, but I still had enough film to get recruited,” said Copper
“I got looked at by schools in Florida, Michigan, and lots in Ohio that are in the OAC, which is the same division as Otterbein. I had to consider if I was going to a school that would have me ride the bench all four years or actually give me play time. For me, I was determined to go to Wooster, but last minute on signing day, decided on Otterbein,” Copper continued.
The College of Wooster and Otterbein University are in different athletic conferences, but both compete in the NCAA’s Division III. Otterbein has gone through a lot of coaching turnover in the past couple of years, which has put a strain on the team.
“Our team mantra this season is O.N.E., which means Only Now Exists. A lot of times, we find ourselves getting stuck in the past, even like one play ago. So, it has definitely helped the team attitude this season not to get discouraged,” said Copper.
“My biggest thing would be like, I’ve had a few mantras in my life, but they really test your character in college football, especially because I feel like a lot of time we get overlooked as Division III athletes, but we definitely go through the same stuff. It’s just as physically demanding. Our bodies are just as broken and battered as those Division I TV guys that you see every weekend,” Copper continued.
Despite these challenges and several injuries Copper has suffered during his time playing football, his commitment and dedication to the sport are evident.
“Life is not going to care. Life is not going to stop. Life doesn’t care if I’m sick going to practice. Life doesn’t care if I’m injured and on the sidelines. Life is going to happen. Yeah, it sucks that you messed up, but that was two plays ago. Let it go, move forward, and be the best you can be in this very moment. Feel how you feel and move on,” said Copper.
A clip from the interview with Copper.