Virginia Tech Football: Everything From DL Kemari Copeland After Monday's Practice

Virginia Tech DL Kemari Copeland Media Availability: Fall Camp Day 4 pic.twitter.com/QBy1vskveq
— Kolby Crawford (@kolby_crawford) August 4, 2025

On how it's been in Fall Camp:

"It's been good. It's been good getting out there and getting back to football. I'm sure everybody's eager."

On his level of eagerness:

"I'm real eager. You know, the first four games, that's all I really got. I was eager to come here and like after the first four games getting hurt, I'm eager to get back out there and I'm hungry to play."

On last year's triceps injury vs. Rutgers:

"He was like near the goal line and I was just in my stance, and I got off the ball... I felt a pop went to the sideline. They said I tore something on there."

Q: Was that on the fourth down stop that series?

" I don't know. I think it was. I I'm not sure. I think so... It was, like it was more like my tricep. It was like 30% torn. Yeah... when it first happened, it definitely did hurt. I went back home, I was like, 'Yeah, this kind of hurt.' But after like the first day, it didn't really hurt that much."

On the recovery process:

"[It was tough] just both mentally, but also physically. Mentally, it was hard. I just got back into football, like I worked, I went to JUCO, Army, all that to get here. And then [after] like my first four games, I got hurt. So, I mean it felt like I lost momentum, but it is what it is. this is like part of the game of football. And then like physically, I just did a bunch of stuff like in the weight room. My trainers, they got me right."

On being back near 100%:

"I do feel 100%. Weirdly enough, I feel like my upper body is stronger."

Q: Is that because you're squatting 680?

"I guess so. I don't know."

On making The Athletic's "Freaks" list again:

"Yeah, I seen that. I mean, I kind of view it as just like noise. Like, it is what it is. What really matters is going out here and trying to get better every day. Like, whatever happens to media, like all that, it's just noise. I'm just trying to play ball."

On what his best weight room activity is:

"I'll probably say it is squat, like that 605 for 10, but my back, man. I'm not doing that again. I mean if it, happened, it happened, but my back."

On a shoutout from NFL standout JJ Watt:

"Yeah that was a crazy day. So after I posted a video, I took a nap and I woke up, I seen JJ Watt on. I'm like, 'What the heck?' I mean, it was a crazy day, like that changed my life. I started getting recognized everywhere, it was crazy."

On if the coaches pulled back on utilizing heavier weights:

"It was just after that one day, like my back is good. But after that one day, I was like I can feel that."

On what it's like in the weight room:

"This year they want me to just make sure I'm good on the field. There's no need to go out here and break records every single year. Like I'm strong enough I can go out there and play and that's what I need to do."

On Jarrett Ferguson in the weight room:

"He's been good. He's been pushing me to a whole another level, especially [associate director of strength Jeffrey Eaton]. He getting on me every day. Like, he pushing me and finding a place I need to go to mentally and he's helping me out a lot."

On performance during spring ball:

"Yeah, for spring, I was just eager to get out there and every practice, we had 15 practices. And like everyone, I took it as a blessing, like when you get football taken away, it's like 'Dang, I miss it,' and then when I got in the spring, I took every rep, every practice, I just took it like it's my last and it helped me out a lot."

On possessing the Lunch Pail:

"Yeah, I got it took yesterday."

Q: Who took it?

"[Linebacker Caleb Woodson] took it yesterday. He had an interception and like two turnovers."

On how much it took to take the Lunch Pail away:

"I had it second week of spring ball. I had it for seven, eight months. It was a huge honor, like holding it. I had to work my butt off to keep it. I just got to work my butt of to get it back again."

Q: What's the process of passing the pail?

"So, we go out and practice and it starts in winter. So, the workouts, whoever's working the hardest, stuff like that, whoever's winning reps. And then we go to spring ball, whoever's making plays. It's really about who's making plays and representing the defense that Bud Foster. That's pretty much what it is. And then [we] go to a team meeting and then all the coaches talk about who deserves it and then that's what they give it to."

NOTE: The previous holder of the Lunch Pail before Copeland was fellow defensive tackle Kelvin Gilliam.

"We got to get it back though. We got to get it back."

On if the players need permission to take the Pail down to Charlotte for media days:

"I think it's two of them, I'm not sure."

On where his mentality as a "big motor guy" originates:

"So, I'm not going to lie, when I played linebacker in high school, you got to run sideline to sideline. And that kind of stayed with me. Playing D-tackle, like it's still the same thing. I see the ball on the sideline. I know I can go make that play. So, I'm just going to run to the ball. And I know wherever the ball is, it's possible [that] you can make a play. So, I'm going to just go get it."

On high school weight:

"240, 250, playing linebacker."

On when he first started adding the weight to play defensive line:

"It was like when I was at Army. So, when I was at Army I was like 270 and then when I got here, I got to like 280, 285."

On the Fellowship of Christian Athletes wristband on his wrist and the importance of faith to him:

"It's been very important, my faith. Without God, I don't know if I could be here. Like when you get hurt and you're like in a dark place and you don't know where to lean to, God is the only person you can depend on. So, that's what my faith means to me."

On playing alongside Kelvin Gilliam:

"It's been good. I mean, me and KG came in, we took our visit together, so it's been wonderful. Like [Josh Fuga] was like the vocal leader last year, like big vocal guy. KG is doing a great job like every day, having us juiced up and it it's fun. I can't wait to go in the season with KG."

On his Twitter nickname being "The Hulk":

"Yeah. So it was when [former defensive coordinator Chris Marve] was here. After practice, something made me mad and then I just went out and practiced and wrecked shop. And during one of the meetings and during one of the meetings, he put up a GIF of the Hulk because I won Player of the Day. We put a GIF of the Hulk and then it just had everybody laughing and I was like, 'I'll go with it" and everybody call me the Hulk."

Q: You got to wear green during practice?

"No, I had a green mouthpiece last year."

On the new additions to the defensive tackle room:

[Arias Nash] is a quiet guy, but he comes in and work. [James Djonkam], he's a character, not gonna lie, but they all coming to work and I'm excited to get out there with them. I just seen a video, [defensive end] Ben Bell had a 30% pass-rush win rate. That's crazy. So, I can't wait to get out of there, man. We going to do something special."

On his NIL deals relating to his powerlifting and weightlifting background:

I think playing D-tackle, lifting and all that is very important in the trenches, getting leverage and all that. So, I think me, naturally lifting weights and fitness and stuff, I think it helps out a lot playing D-tackle."

On Emmett Laws:

"Yeah, E-Law made huge strides, man. I love going to work with that dude, man. He's a humble dude. He comes in and works and he has a high ceiling. So, I'm trying to push him every day. The whole D-line's trying to push him, Coach Price, like we all see his potential. So, we just going to try to push him to be the best he can every day."