Span pulls off very special Valentine's Day plan

WASHINGTON -- Saturday will be a special Valentine's Day for Nationals outfielder Denard Span. He is engaged to Shadonna Copeland, who is from the Tampa area. The couple plans to get married sometime in December. Span and Copeland have been together 10 years.

Span popped the question last Saturday. Their friends and families were in attendance at a restaurant in Tampa. Copeland had no idea what was going on. She thought it was pre-Valentine's Day dinner. At first, she thought it was a surprise party because the family screamed, "Surprise." Copeland began to cry, her hands on her face. A few moments later, Span came in the room, went on one knee and proposed to her. She obviously said, "Yes."

Obviously, Copeland means the world to Span, who will enter his third season with the Nationals.

"She has been there with me through thick and thin. She has put up with my foolishness for a long time," Span said. "I'm just excited about us starting our lives together. I'm just happy and elated about it."