No One Explained a 401(k) Until He Reached the NFL. So He Started Putting His Money to Work — and Helping Others Do the Same. Former linebacker Brandon Copeland got serious about saving and investing while he was in the NFL.

Former NFL linebacker Brandon Copeland saw his mother stick to a tight budget while raising him and his brother. She could afford to put them in sports and "make magic happen on Christmas" by sacrificing other small luxuries: candy in the checkout aisle or a soda from McDonald's. One day, I want to have money, Copeland thought at the time; I don't ever want to have to tell my children "no."

Now a father of two himself, Copeland acknowledges it was a somewhat "naive" way to think about the situation, but the experience did motivate him to learn more about money. He went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and intern at Union Bank of Switzerland.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Copeland Media. Brandon Copeland.}

"I had to make it to the Baltimore Ravens to learn what a 401(k) is."

However, it wasn't until 2013, when he joined the Baltimore Ravens, that he dove deeper into the world of personal finance and financial advocacy. The NFL Players Association started talking about benefits, including a matched 401(k) — something no one had ever explained to him before.

Related: Everything You Know About Your 401(k) Is Wrong. Here's Why and What You Should Do About It.

"I had to make it to the Baltimore Ravens to learn what a 401(k) is," Copeland says. "This is a tool that most people who interact with an employer may have the ability to use, but who taught my mom about a 401(k)? Who taught my brother about a 401(k)? Who taught anyone I love about these things that are just real facts of life?"

It was also around that time that 10-year NFL veteran Jameel McClain told Copeland that professional football was kind of "like the drug game": You can make a lot of money quickly, but when it's over, "you don't end up dead or in jail." It's up to each player to determine what he walks away with — and what his life will look like.

Related: NFL Player Says He Lived In the Stadium for Two Years to Save Money

Copeland resolved to set himself up for financial success; he didn't want to have to find another job out of necessity as soon as he left the NFL. So, he got serious about managing his finances.

He focused on building up his savings and extracting value wherever he could, including eating his meals at the team facility, often boxing up an additional lunch for dinner at home. Copeland also began to "invest as much as possible" and "put as much money to work" as possible.

"I can make money off the field in large lump sums."

Real estate became a lucrative investment avenue for Copeland. He was drawn to the idea after a loss trading options in 2013. "I don't like to lose," he says, "but if I lose, I'd rather look at myself and be able to say, 'Well, I didn't do this. I didn't prepare right.' Same thing with football. If I'm going lose, I'd like to know why I lost or have something in my control."

Copeland stayed on the sidelines for a few years and learned everything he could about the real estate market. Eventually, in 2017, he purchased five properties "sight unseen." It was a "horrible feeling," Copeland recalls, but the risk paid off in a major way. Those properties turned a six-figure profit that year, he says.

"Having the success kind of got me hooked," Copeland explains, "but it also showed me, 'Okay, I can make money off the field in large lump sums by doing this and using my mind."

Related: How to Make Money in Real Estate: 8 Proven Ways

Copeland also used his serious work ethic to succeed in real estate. Despite an intense training schedule, he made time to get familiar with the details that would give him an edge.

"I'd be in the gym at like 7 a.m. I'd get out at 2 p.m., and then I'd go to Whole Foods, grab some food and go to Home Depot," Copeland says. "I'd be in Home Depot for hours, just learning about carpet, nails, tile, windows and doors because I was afraid to get cheated. I was afraid somebody would tell me how much something cost, and I'd have no real perspective on it. And I'd be that guy who lost all his money trusting people."

That commitment to learning helped build his confidence in real estate, Copeland says.

Related: How to Start Investing in Real Estate With as Little as $5,000

Copeland and his wife, Taylor Copeland, went on to found the personal real estate and development company BTC Investments. Focused on creating new infrastructure in underdeveloped cities, BTC Investments boasts a $203 million investment portfolio across 354 acres of land development projects and 1,123 multi-family units.

Today, BTC Investments is one branch of Copeland Media, along with the financial literacy platform Life 101 and Beyond the Basics Inc., which provides enriching experiences and opportunities to youth in underserved communities.

"Understanding what you are truly working for is pivotal."

Now, Copeland is on a mission to "democratize access to financial information for people so that we can even the playing field."

Last year, Copeland founded Athletes.org, a nonprofit organization that provides knowledge, access and protection to its members free of charge.

"There are billions of dollars that are being made off of college athletics, and college athletes deserve to have a piece of it," Copeland says. "And now they're finally getting a piece, but they also deserve to have a say in their terms of playing with the schools and the universities and things of that nature."

Related: NCAA Athletes Waste No Time Profiting on Name, Image and Likeness

Copeland says that more than 3,000 college athletes have joined Athletes.org so far.

"Although there are so many athletes, and the system will never be 'perfect,' the goal is to try to make sure that college athletes' voices are heard," Copeland explains. "And it's not just the money; it's also health and safety protocols. It's making sure that there are people that college athletes can go to quicker when folks are misusing their title and power."

Additionally, at his alma mater, Copeland taught a personal finance course called "Life 101," which is now available online and gives students the opportunity to grapple with real-life financial decisions such as budgeting, investing and buying a car or house. "If you can't get these right, then it's hard to get anything else right," he says.

Related: Are You Planning to Buy a Home? Read This First.

Copeland's first personal finance book, Your Money Playbook: How to Earn More, Build Wealth and Win at Life, was used in the class and will be published on September 10.

One piece of advice Copeland gives his students and anyone who wants to take control of their financial future? Figure out your "why."

"Understanding what you are truly working for is pivotal to not becoming a hamster on a hamster wheel," Copeland says. "[Otherwise] you'll be working forever: 'Oh, I want to make money, and I want to have this, and I want to have that.' Well, that's a never-ending goal."