Three Pirates Sign Free Agent NFL Contracts
April 26, 2004 | Football
"I look at these three, and see three quality individuals," said Pirate head coach John Thompson. "When you put good people out there in front of the nation, that says good things about our program. Not just because they're great athletes, but becasue they're better people."
Copper, a native of Washington, N.C., caught 87 balls for 897 yards to set a new ECU record for receiving yards in a season. His 87 receptions established a new ECU single season mark and ranks as the fourth-most ever in a season by a Conference USA player. He led C-USA in receptions and ranked seventh in the final NCAA statistics with 7.25 receptions per game as a senior. Copper finished his career ranked second on the school's career receptions list with 139 and fourth on the all-time yards receiving list with 1,683. He became the first ECU wide receiver to earn All-Conference USA accolades after being named second team all-conference.
Leach is a four-year letterman who began his career at linebacker before making the transition to fullback as a junior. This past season as a senior, Leach carried the ball 83 times for 290 yards and five touchdowns. The 6-0, 253-lb. native of Rowland, N.C., who plowed in for two touchdowns, was named the Gray team's offensive MVP at the 2004 Blue-Gray All-Star Classic. Leach carried the ball five times for 28 yards and caught three passes for 27 yards.
Duckett played in 48 games during his four-year career and made 23 starts along the Pirates' defensive line. A 6-7, 300-lb. native of Clemmons, N.C., Duckett led all ECU defensive linemen in tackles this past season with 41 and recorded the second-most among defensive linemen as a junior. He finished his career with 134 total tackles, including 22 tackles for loss.
All three players are scheduled to report to rookie mini-camps this upcoming weekend.
