Not 15 minutes later, as the Cowboys’ offense went against the Raiders’ defense, it was
J.C. Copeland and Oakland linebacker Justin Cole coming to blows. The pair fought through a long, physical block that only ended when Cole took Copeland’s helmet off, and the rookie dropped the linebacker to the ground.
“He kept putting his hands in my face, and, being the competitive type of man that I am, I just pushed him,” Copeland said.
It might not have been what Cowboys coach Jason Garrett wanted, but Copeland said it was good to get the competitive juices going against another team.
“It really is – I felt good about hitting somebody,” Copeland said. “I hadn’t hit anybody in a long time, so it felt real good.”