New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Copeland is helping to change the "dumb jock" narrative.
"Unfortunately, there is that negative stereotype of the quote-unquote 'dumb jock,'" he said.
In addition to his position with the Patriots, Copeland teaches finance at the University of Pennsylvania in the offseason.
"I'm a New England Patriot right now, and when you look at the way we break down our opponents and schemes — my teammates, the way they think about football is poetry. It's literally rocket science," he said.
Tuesday night, Copeland took part in a virtual seminar for students, hosted by the Newton-based Fitmoney.org. The group helps teach kids about the importance of money management.
"There's a lot of young people who are interested in money," he said. "Now, it's about directing them to the right information."
This is Copeland's first year with New England. He previously played with the New York Jets. He says there are a lot of similarities between football and finance.
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Professor Copeland's not worried about the team's slow start. One reason is Bill Belichick, whom he thinks would make a good financial advisor.
"Warren Buffett talks about the fundamentals and not being too emotional when you invest and in making decisions, and clearly, that's something Coach has done for his entire career," Copeland said.
