UNC men's basketball's Just-engaged Jackson proposed to girlfriend April 14
North Carolina wing Justin Jackson (44) points to the bench after hitting a 3-pointer against Oregon in the teams' Final Four matchup on Saturday in Phoenix.
In case you missed it, Justin Jackson and Brooke Copeland, his girlfriend and a junior women’s basketball player for University of Florida, got engaged on April 14.
Reactions from fans were supportive to say the least.
Jackson's Instagram post, which he posted on Sunday, had over 30,000 likes by the time of publishing. For perspective, there are more than 29,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students at UNC.
The announcement on the North Carolina Tar Heels on InsideCarolina Facebook page received over 16,000 likes and over 670 comments, many of which congratulated the couple.
According to an Instagram post from photographer Dawn Chapman Whittey, the engagement was a surprise and took place in Seaside, Florida.
UNC students weren’t the only fans who were upset by the draft announcement. Old Chicago Pizzeria learned Jackson loved the restaurant, and they tweeted him a coupon for free pizza for a year.
In honor of their engagement, here's are some fun facts we found about Copeland:
She's a Tar Heel fan.
She plays under the 23 jersey to honor Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
She's a philanthropist.
She spends a lot of her time off of the court volunteering, enough to earn her being named to the SEC's Community Service Team three years in a row. She's on the board of Gigi's Playhouse, which is a Down Syndrome Achievement Center in Gainesville, Florida.
Jackson wrote an essay in which he said he plays for Brooke.
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I also play for someone special. Her name is Brooke Copeland, and if she can put up with me a little bit longer, I hope we will get married one day. We’ve been together for a couple of years now, and I’ve been blessed by God to have her in my life. She’s an incredible person — she’s set to graduate from Florida a year early! — and she’s an amazing basketball player, too. She’s taught me the importance of humility and has made me realize how meaningful it is to be a good friend. She’s also moved me closer to God.
