Name: Quinton Coples
Profession: Defensive End for the New York Jets / Philanthropist
Age: 25
One word that describes you: Selfless
Selected 16th overall in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, Quinton Coples wasted no time making an impact for his team. A native of Kinston, NC, Coples is as impactful off the field as he is on it by building his personal brand through business development, and multiple philanthropic endeavors.
Inspired by his mother who worked several jobs to raise him, and his sister, Coples realized he was blessed with exceptional football talent and focused on maximizing this talent. “I did whatever it took to make it professionally so that I would be able to provide for me and my family,” Coples tells BE Modern Man.” Growing up in a single parent home and struggling to make ends meet was more than enough for Coples to pursue his athletic career with fervor.
Growing up in seemingly dire conditions instilled character and a value system in Coples that he maintains today on the field, and off the field with brands that he enters into business relationships with. “This can be most visibly seen in my relationship with Millennium Sports Management Group (MSMG), where both MSMG and I are anchored by our deeply ingrained commitment to community empowerment and Philanthropy,” says Coples. For Coples and MSMG it is bigger than being present for scheduled team obligations or photo opportunities. “My community obligation, similar to those of the other MSMG athlete clients, is to make my philanthropic imprint as impactful as my on-field statistical imprint.”
Intimately involved in the business workings associated with his personal brand, Coples is actively
sharpening his business Acumen. ” I am proud to have established my own business, QKC New Productions, and starting the Quinton Coples Foundation which gives back considerably to youth in my hometown of Kinston, NC and beyond,” Coples tells BE Modern Man. Most recently Coples has entered into the fashion industry via an accessory line collaboration with Urban Professor.Always seeing the bigger picture and remaining grateful for the opportunities that his football platform enables, Coples is continuously learning and growing both personally and professionally. One of his favorite quotes that speaks to success and potential pitfalls is “every flower must grow through dirt” by Laurie Sennott. “This is a guiding compass for me right now,” says Coples. “It perfectly serves as a beacon of perseverance and determination to bloom in my own time regardless of the adversities and challenges I’ve faced. It also reminds me not to forget the journey to success.”
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Creativity, hard work, and spiritual strength are just a few of the key tenets that men of color carry as they pursue their goals. On the field Coples is a giant among men, but in the community he remains accessible with everyone. “My biggest impact within the community comes by physically being there, rolling up my sleeves and walking forward with my community,” Coples tells BE Modern Man. “For me this is much more impactful than sending a check or representing from afar.”
Getting on the ground and physically putting in the work directly combats the ongoing negative narrative being told about athletes in the media. “My narrative enables others to speak confidently against the mainstream media’s incessant depiction of athletes as self-centered, ungrateful and naïve professionals
with little to no financial intelligence,” says Coples. “This type of exposure is needed in telling our stories so that it exposes and even empowers others to make smarter and more meaningful choices now that they’ve become aware.”Creating an impact on and off the field Coples says “a BE Modern Man is a man of dignity and morality, and stands for someone who handles business to the fullest while giving back to help others.”
The BlackEnterprise.com team salutes Quinton Coples, a young man blessed to play the sport he loves at the highest level, for using his platform to impact fans across the world. Catch Coples handling business on the field this coming fall, and in the community all year long.
It’s our normal to be extraordinary. Follow @blackenterprise and join the BE Modern Man conversation using #BEModernMan.