Myles Copeland’s Life Saving Heroics Serves As A Timely Reminder Why Toledo Glass City Is About More Than Just Basketball
A week after TBL referee John Sculli and Myles Copeland's worlds collided on a basketball court in Jamestown, New York, the beat goes on beyond the game.
Toledo, Ohio – Life can change in a heartbeat. If we’ve learned anything this past week in The Basketball League, it’s exactly that.
Thanks to the lifesaving heroics of Toledo firefighter and aspiring professional basketball player, Myles Copeland, who performed CPR on collapsed referee John Sculli during last Saturday’s Game 2 playoff game against the Jamestown Jackals, this story went from a potential tragic event to making national headlines with ESPN, Bleacher Report, TMZ, Barstool Sports, national affiliates and a bevy of local media outlets all reporting on Myles’ amazing act.
It’s a breath of fresh air.
On Thursday, Toledo Glass City honored and saluted Myles’ heroic efforts prior to tip-off versus the Kokomo BobKats in Game 1 of the Midwest Conference Finals at Kokomo Memorial Gym. Earlier in the day, John Sculli (center in above photo) underwent quadruple bypass surgery and is on his way to recovery, all while this now national story continues to make news and for very good reason.
Divine intervention. God’s timing. The right place at the right time. A second shot.
As it has been all season long for Toledo Glass City, it’s apparent that there’s something at work here that is about more than just basketball. It’s about modestly making your mark, regardless where you stand on the roster. In a season where All-Star Chris Darrington has shined, Clemmye Owens and Tray Howard have balled-out, Devonte’ Pratt has owned the boards, and head coach Freddie Zamora and his staff have led Glass City into the Midwest Conference Finals against the Kokomo BobKats, it’s 6-6 forward Myles Copeland who just might walk away as the real MVP here.
Not bad for the 25-year old from Perrysburg, Ohio who played D3 at Trine University in Angola, Indiana and has been a firefighter with Toledo Fire & Rescue for a little over a year. That’s one of his jobs, one where each time Myles heads to work as a fireman he’s essentially putting his life on the line for others. You never know where or when your number will be called. Being ready at all times is must. The same holds true in basketball for Copeland, who is averaging 3.9 points and 1.4 rebounds off of the bench this season.
The bench. It’s the one place basketball players would rather not see. They would rather be on the court.
On that lone night in Jamestown, it’s the one place Myles was meant to be as John Sculli laid unresponsive on the floor.
“More people need to learn CPR! Heart disease is the #1 leading cause of death", Myles said after starting his Twitter page this past week.
“And an event like this could happen anywhere, to anyone, at anytime. Step up your game and get CPR certified. You could be a hero for someone too.”
Over the past week, the lives of Myles and John have changed drastically, along with fellow TBL referee Kenzi Murray and Jamestown Jackals trainer Jody Marsh who aided on the scene at Jamestown Community College. All one has to do is watch the game film footage to witness a miracle at work and hear from TBL President David Magley as he recounts Myles’ heroics with raw emotion – Myles wasn’t even supposed to be at the game that night. He had wrapped up a 24-hour shift at the firehouse and drove the 4 hour road trip to Jamestown just to make the playoff game with Glass City.
Perhaps the young man would even make a big play on the court.
It turns out he did.
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Update:
No one is more proud of Myles Copeland and the praise he’s received over this past week than his own mother, Donna Copeland. She knows first-hand that there’s even more to her son’s story beyond that of a life-saving firefighter and professional basketball player.
“Myles loves being a firefighter and also the game of basketball. He almost decided not to play (this season) because he didn’t think he could swing it with his schedule and it being his first year as a firefighter. I told him just go in and be very honest with Coach and see if there was something they could work out. I am so glad they did. The rest is history, but it was ultimately God's plan and timing,” Donna Copeland said in an interview with ATBL.
“It’s been fun to watch these guys play again and to have a team here in Toledo. We have been a part of a lot of basketball over the years both on the men’s and women’s side and love every minute of the games. Our daughter (Mariah) just finished her playing career at The University of Toledo. So now with this new team playing in Toledo, I will still get in my basketball fix! This unfortunate event had a great outcome and I am so proud of the way Myles conducted himself! It has brought light to the league, this team and the importance of CPR training. I am wishing prayers to John on a speedy recovery.”
Rightfully in awe, the fact that Myles is juggling two careers is truly a blessing.
“Myles has been a Type 1 diabetic since the age of 7. Without insulin, he would not survive. And his sister has been as well since age 11. He has had to learn how to live with this chronic disease, take care of his body pre games and post games and initially they thought he would not be able to play sports at such a high level. But with work and improved technology it’s made it easier. He has been able to mentor a few kids over the years in college and talks to the families. Also, he was not sure he could even be a firefighter but they changed the rules a few years back but still have strict standards for his A1C and he has to keep himself in good health. Playing basketball helps.”
Thank you to Donna Copeland for taking the time to shed light on how Myles has overcome his own health concerns to help serve his community at Toledo Fire & Rescue and others through the game of basketball.
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Wendell Maxey has covered and written about professional basketball and sports for 19 years including eight years reporting on the NBA in New York and Portland where his work appeared on ESPN.com, NBA.com, USA Today, FOX Sports, YAHOO Sports!, SLAM Magazine, and The Oregonian among other publications and outlets. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn or read through his archive on Linktree.