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Copeland and Lett inducted into NJCAA Hall of Fame

9/17/2013 1:17:00 PM

John Copeland and Leon Lett, both former Hinds Community College defensive linemen and veterans of the National Football League (NFL), were inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Monday.

Copeland spent the 1989 and 1990 seasons at Hinds, where he led the state of Mississippi in sacks as a sophomore and led the Eagles to the 1990 South division championship.

Copeland would then move on to the University of Alabama, where as a defensive end he helped the Crimson Tide claim the 1992 national championship after finishing with 65 tackles and 10.5 sacks and earning first-team All-American honors in the process.

He was selected as the fifth overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals after his illustrious career and would play all eight seasons with the Bengals, ending his career with 276 tackles, 24 sacks and nine forced fumbles.

Copeland, who was inducted into the Hinds Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, is now the defensive coordinator at Tuscaloosa Academy.

Lett, who was a 2011 inductee into the Hinds Sports Hall of Fame, spent the 1987 and 1988 seasons in Raymond, where he collected 141 tackles, 10 sacks, broke up nine passes and recovered three fumbles.

After his time at Hinds, Lett would move on to Emporia State (Kan.), where he was named a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) honorable mention All-American in 1989 after picking up 83 tackles, five sacks and two blocked field goals.

Lett was selected in the seventh round of the 1991 NFL Draft and had a standout professional career, highlighted by Super Bowl victories in 1992, 1993 and 1995, along with Pro Bowl selections in 1994 and 1998.

He finished his 11-year playing career in 2001 with the Denver Broncos and retired with a total of 361 tackles, 22.5 sacks and seven fumble recoveries

Lett is currently an assistant defensive line coach with the Cowboys.

For the full release from the NJCAA office click HERE.

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