Brad Culpepper — of the personal injury law firm of Culpepper Kurland — is among the more successful, high-profile attorneys in Tampa Bay.
That status derives, in part, from having been a pro football player for nine years – six of them as a starting defensive tackle for the Buccaneers. It also comes with having been an All American at the University of Florida and a member of the UF Hall of Fame now doing business in the heart of Gator Nation and Buc Land. And it’s a function of having a gregarious, sometimes outrageous, personality, a passel of prominent billboards and TV commercials and regular sports gigs on local radio and television.
But members of the business community will tell what’s even more important: a relentless work ethic, uncanny discipline and imposing communication skills.
Tampa business magnate Don Wallace calls Culpepper a “tenaciously” competitive person who doesn’t suffer fools. “But at the same time, he has empathy for others,” notes Wallace. “He’ll help anybody as long as they help themselves.”
Close friends and colleagues also point to grounded, family values, equilibrium between work and play, a strong sense of community involvement and the perfect life partner in wife Monica, a former UF Homecoming Queen.
“I’m head-first into life,” says Culpepper, 38, “I’m not a backward thinker. There was no time to look back to the football days. Getting a law degree, passing the bar, landing a position with a good firm (Morgan, Colling & Gilbert initially) and being involved with Monica and our three kids – those were my elixirs. I love what I do, and I try to work smart and be a great husband and parent.”
To that end, both Culpeppers can be found at South Tampa’s Gorrie Elementary each week reading to students – including their own: sons Rex, 10, and Judge, 7, and daughter Honor, 5.
“It matters that my kids know school is important,” explains Culpepper, a member of Gorrie’s student advisory committee. “And they like it that I’m there.”
At their spacious, 80-year-old, Mediterranean-style Davis Islands home, Brad, an accomplished pianist, helps the kids with their piano lessons – after a “Star Wars” intro. He and Monica, both avid readers, reinforce the principle that books transcend the classroom. Books-on-tape is a family staple on road trips.
“We try to expose them to all kinds of things,” says Culpepper, who’s an Eagle Scout. “Sports in season, arts and crafts, an appreciation of nature. It’s easy to just turn on a computer or pop in a video. It’s hard work being a good parent, and Monica is phenomenal — especially when it comes to the kids’ academics.”
And then there are the family getaways. First among equals: the exclusive Gilchrist Club, a 23,000-acre hunting and recreational lodge complex in rural Gilchrist County, about 30 minutes west of Gainesville.
For the last three years, the Culpeppers have retreated regularly to the lakes, grassy flats, wetlands and pine forests during non-hunting season for bass fishing, water skiing, wake boarding, skeet shooting and rubbernecking at the flora and fauna. A fully staffed kitchen and three gourmet meals a day complement the outdoor experience.
“It’s quality, uninterrupted time with our kids,” says Monica. “We can just enjoy it and not worry about the problems of running a second home.”
The Culpepper clan also enjoys side excursions ranging from canoe trips on the Little Manatee and Peace Rivers to berry-hunting hikes in North Carolina. Or sometimes just hopping in Brad’s 17-foot whaler for a spin on the Hillsborough River.
Not that the Culpeppers, who have been married 15 years, stint on getaways for two. A couple times a year they travel to celebrity golf outings, such as those hosted by Gino Torretta, the former Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Miami, and Jim McMahon, the erstwhile All-Pro quarterback of the Chicago Bears. There’s also the occasional New York trip to take in a show and just hang out.
Locally, they like dining at Tampa’s Malio’s and Mise en Place restaurants and occasionally escaping to a foreign film at Tampa Theatre.
“We like each other’s company,” says Brad. “We’re not one of those couples where she has her nights out with the girls, and I’m out with the boys. We don’t do that. If it’s fun and special and it’s just me, that’s really half an experience.”
Underscores Monica: “A healthy relationship outside the children is good for the kids too.”
As a figure of some public renown, Brad is frequently called upon to help area charities with fund-raising. Often Monica will assist. Among the beneficiaries: Shriner’s Hospital for Children, the Children’s Miracle Network, Shands Hospital at UF and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
“Brad has been our (MDA Ball) auctioneer for three years, and he’s the reason it’s been so successful,” says Marilyn McPhail, vice chair of the MDA. “He gets the audience involved. He does it from the heart. He and Monica are both philanthropists. They are the perfect couple.”
*During his NFL career, the 6’1″ Culpepper played at about 275 pounds. These days he’s a ripped 205. How did he do it? The way he does everything: with total commitment. He ate smaller meals, avoided eating after dinner and does something aerobic virtually every day. His philosophy: “In short, burn more than you consume.”
*A lot of pro athletes can’t face the future outside the lines of their sport. Not Culpepper. The transition, he says, was “seamless.” As a 10th round draft pick in 1992, he knew there were no guarantees of a lengthy NFL career. “I needed to prepare for a post career and use my name,” he says. “But you need a skill.” So he took law courses at UF in the off-seasons. He retired from the NFL in 2001, the same year he received his law degree.
*Parallels with business: “I love the competition between me and opposing counsel,” explains Culpepper. “You have to be sound in your fundamentals and never let anyone outwork you.”
*Culpepper is a regular on “Tailgate Sunday” on WTVT Fox, Channel 13, before Buc games. “I don’t think of him as a jock,” says co-host Chip Carter. “More like an attorney who strapped on a helmet. He’s network quality.”