How do I turn ragdoll/NPC models into playermodels?

[El Jameo]

I hope I filled this out right. Also, I'm not quite sure if it's a problem with my "Lua'ing" or "Failing to place models", so I hope this is the right place.
System hardware specs
- Processor: AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3800+ @2.41GHz
- RAM: 3.00GB
- Graphics Card: ATI Radeon HD 4550 (512MB)
- Operating System: Windows XP Media Centre Edition | Version: 2002 | Service Pack 3

Addons you have installed (I have a shitload of addons but I'll go through the ones that I use most):
- CS:S Realalistic Weapons 4.0
- RealCS (ones by cheesylard, I'm trying to compare which is better between this one, or the addon above)
- Gamemodes including: DarkRP, Cakescript (I'm learning to lua at the moment)
- GMow and VMod Vehicle pack (the HUGE pack)
- Various models that could link to roleplaying

Any changes I've made in the past month
All i've been doing as moving models and materials around, which links to my problem below...

PROBLEM:
Since I'm slowly (but hopefully surely) learning lua, I'm working on putting in custom models, but, when ever I do, they come out as a "T" shape. Now unless they are already PlayerModels (which the ones that I'm trying to use aren't), they pop out, like I said, in a "T" formation.

Here's my setup:
garrysmod/garrysmod/models/player/<model files go here. e.g. .mdl, .phy etc.>
garrysmod/garrysmod/materials/models/player/<materials go in here. e.g. .vtf, .vmf>
I HAVE ALSO TRIED:
garrysmod/garrysmod/models/player/NYPD/<model files go here. e.g. .mdl, .phy etc.>
garrysmod/garrysmod/materials/models/<materials go in here. e.g. .vtf, .vmf>
I have tried combinations of those lot. However, there're no errors and no purple and black checkered squares. So, I tried something else...

I tried making them into playermodels via lua:
garrysmod/garrysmod/addons/NYPD/lua/autorun/playermodels.lua
Here's what was in my lua (supposing "cops" was going to be made as a new folder):

list.Set( "PlayerOptionsModel", "malecop01", "models/player/cops/male_01.mdl" )
player_manager.AddValidModel( "malecop01", "models/player/cops/male_01.mdl" )

That's what i've tried. I'm really annoyed about this, and spent 3 hours on trying to work it out. So far nothing.

For a better, more general question I'm asking: "How do I turn normal ragdoll/NPC models into playermodels?"

Yes, I had a look round facepunch and google, each are quite big so the thread I wish that could help me didn't really pop up. This is a last resort.