Along with Joe Krol, Royal Copeland is most famous for being one half of the "gold dust twins" who formed the heart of the powerful Argonaut teams of the 1940s.  Copeland started his senior career just as World War was in full swing and endecd up playing two seasons for the Toronto Navy Bulldogs in the ORFUin 1943 and 1944.  With the Navy team, Copeland won an ORFU All-Star at halfback in 1943. After the war, Copeland was set to play with the Toronto Indians of the ORFU, but switched to the Argonauts in order to playe for Teddy Morris who had been his coach on he Navy team.  Copleand joined the Toronto Argonauts in 1945 and helped lead them  to three straight Grey Cup from 1945 to 1947.  Copeland won the East scoring title with 40 points on 8 touchdowns (touchdowns were only worth 5 points then) in that first season in 1945.   While both Krol and Copeland were halfbacks, it was an era in which the halfbacks ofen threw the ball as ofen or more often than the quarterbacks.  Copeland and Krol played pitch and catch with the ball, most of ten with Krol pitching and Copeland catching.  Copeland remained with the Argos through the 1949 season, winning four* East All-Stars (there were no CFL All-Stars until 1962) in 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1949. Copeland won the Jeff Russess Trophy as the most valuable player in the Big Four in 1949.  The Argos were in a state of turmoil after the 1949 season and a number of their star players left the team, including Copeland.  In 1950, Copeland went West to play two seasons (1950-51) with Calgary, winning a second team West All-Star in 1950.  Copeland returned to Toronto in 1952 and played another five seaons for hte Argos until 1958, seeing more action on defence than offence.  Royal Copeland was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Royal Copeland passed away at the age of 86 on August 8, 2011.

* The 2010 CFL Facts & Figures Lists only 1946, 1947 and 1949, but see the link below for the 1945 All-Star team.

Royal Copeland in Wikipedia

Royal Copealand on the Official CFL Website

Royal Copeland in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame

Copeland Outstanding For Navy - October 21, 1943

Copeland an ORFU All-Star - November 17, 1943

Royal Copleland Adds Offensive Power To Argos - September 19, 1945

Copeland Runs 70 Yars For TD - October 22, 1945

Krol-Copleand Combo Sensational In Win - October 29, 1945

Royal Copleland Wins 1945 East (Big Four) Scoring Title - October 30, 1945

Copeland Wins East (Big Four) All-Star - November 15, 1945

Copleand Wins Big Four All-Star Honours - November 14, 1946

Krol and Copeland Spearhead Attack - October 4, 1947

Copeland Big Four All-Star - November 14, 1947

Copeland Signs With Stampeders - April 29

Roayl Copeland Rates As Calgary's Mr. Big - July 27, 1950

Copeland Shines In Stampeder Exhibtion Win - August 21, 1950

Copeland Returns To Argos, Voyles To Test Waiver Rule

Years Have Taken Toll - August 22, 1952

End of Line Fore Copeland - May 30, 1957

Royal Copeland Passes Away

Other than scoring, individual stats were first kept in the East in 1954 and in the West in 1950.

The 1950 West stats lumped punt and kickoff returns together.  Copeland had 11 kick returns for 146 yards and a 13.3 yard average.