When Brandon Copeland made it to the NFL, he thought he had money figured out. He’d graduated from the Wharton School of Business, interned at hedge funds and worked on Wall Street. But it wasn’t until he stepped into the Baltimore Ravens locker room that he learned what a 401(k) plan was.
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“I had to make it to the NFL to learn what a 401(k) even is,” Copeland said. “And I went to one of the top business schools in the world. That told me everything I needed to know. Financial literacy isn’t reaching the people who need it most.”
That moment sparked a mission: make money education accessible, honest and empowering, especially for underserved communities. Copeland’s new book, “Your Money Playbook,” is a direct extension of that work.
Inside the Playbook: Copeland’s Four-Quarter Strategy
In “Your Money Playbook,” Copeland breaks personal finance into four quarters:
- The Art of Hustle: building multiple income streams
- The Power of Growth: investing and growing wealth over time
- Smart Spending: managing your budget without shame
- Promise of Legacy: protecting wealth through insurance, wills and financial planning
His goal is to help people take control of their finances, regardless of how much they start with.
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Growing Up With a Budget and a Vision
Copeland’s story starts in Baltimore, where he was raised by a single mom who taught him how to budget out of necessity. “We’d go to McDonald’s and only order off the dollar menu, then get a cup of water and go home,” he said. “At the grocery store, you didn’t look at the candy near the checkout. You just knew you couldn’t afford it.”
But exposure changed everything. His high school football coach, Biff Poggi, also happened to run a hedge fund. Copeland was curious when he saw that his coach could frequently afford to buy 40 pizzas for the team every week. After asking to learn more, Copeland was invited to the office. “That was the first time I saw CNBC. The first time I realized you could think your way to wealth,” he explained.
Football Didn’t Guarantee Financial Freedom
That lesson followed him to the NFL. As an undrafted player, Copeland knew his career could be over at any moment. Watching his grandfather, who played 11 years in the league but needed off-season jobs and lived with chronic injuries, he understood that pro sports wouldn’t guarantee financial freedom.
So he started talking about money in the locker room. While others stayed silent out of fear or pride, Copeland opened up about budgeting, investing and even his early mistakes. “Most of us were never taught how to buy a house, how credit works or what good debt even is,” he said. “We’re expected to have the answers, but no one ever gave us the playbook.”
Teaching Others To Take Control
That became the name of his course at the University of Pennsylvania: Life 101. It covers budgeting, taxes, credit, investing and how to build generational wealth. His goal isn’t to turn students into financial pros it’s to give them the confidence to ask questions and take control.
“Everyone wants peace of mind. You don’t have to want a yacht or a jet but you want to live with options. You want to get out of the rat race,” he said. “That starts with financial literacy.”
With “Your Money Playbook,” Copeland hopes to take that message nationwide. His mission is clear: to help people especially those who’ve never been given the tools learn how to earn, grow and protect their money.
“You have the right to be wealthy,” he added. “You just need the right plan.”
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: NFL Star Turned Financial Educator Brandon Copeland Shares His Money Playbook
