Royal Copeland (October 12, 1924 – August 8, 2011) was a Canadian football running back who played at the elite level from 1943 to 1956.[1]
| Date of birth | October 12, 1924 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Date of death | August 8, 2011 (aged 86) |
| Place of death | Oxnard, California, United States |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | RB |
| US college | Humberside Collegiate Institute |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1943–1944 | Toronto HMCS York Bulldogs |
| 1945–1949 | Toronto Argonauts |
| 1950–1951 | Calgary Stampeders |
| 1952–1956 | Toronto Argonauts |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| CFL All-Star | 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950 |
| Awards | Jeff Russel Trophy (1949) |
| Honors | 4× Grey Cup champion - 1945, 46, 47, 52 |
| Career stats | |
Copeland won four Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts. Along with Joe Krol they were known as the Gold Dust Twins. Copeland is the only player to score a touchdown in three consecutive Grey Cup games: 1945, 1946, and 1947. He became a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
During the Second World War when the Argonaut football operations were suspended, Royal Copeland played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) in 1943 with Toronto Navy HMCS York.