Riley Cooper - Jack Of All Trades
Sunday, November 8, 2009 | Football
By Stephen Kerkhof, UF Communications
Over the past three years, Riley Cooper has made quite a name for himself on the gridiron. Contributing in various ways during his first three seasons as a Gator, he has stepped into a starting role on the football team and quickly become a featured playmaker. After gaining so much acclaim for his football exploits, many Florida fans may be unaware of Cooper's status as a two-sport athlete. His prowess on the baseball diamond led to his being chosen in last summer's Major League Baseball Amateur Draft by the Texas Rangers.
After being offered a chance to pursue his lifelong goal of playing professional baseball before the start of his senior season, Cooper was faced with a tough decision. He could get a head start on playing baseball and give up his last year of eligibility with the Gator football team, or he could put baseball on hold and return to the Orange and Blue for a shot at defending its national title.
“It was a tough decision, one of the hardest I've ever had to make,” Cooper said. “I wanted to play professional baseball since that is my ultimate goal and I told Texas that I wanted to come back and play my senior season with the team.”
With the risks inherent in football, Cooper is putting his baseball career in jeopardy every time he steps out onto the field, but the allure of one more fall in Gainesville was too much for him to ignore.
“I just love football and running out there in The Swamp in front of 90,000 fans and people cheering,” the Clearwater, Fla., native said. “There just are not a lot of feelings like that.”
Saturdays are not the only reason Cooper decided to return, however.
“The main reason that I wanted to play my senior year was to spend another season with my teammates,” Cooper said. “That is the coolest thing about being a Gator, having that close relationship with all the guys. We have something special going on in Gainesville and I wanted to remain part of that.”
Whatever it is that ultimately led to Cooper's return, the Gators sure are fortunate to have him back this season. Going into the 2009 season, the team's receiving corps was depleted after losing prolific starters Louis Murphy to graduation and Percy Harvin as an early entrant into the NFL. To make matters worse, injuries before the season started and even early on in the campaign further depleted the depth at wide receiver, a hallmark of the Florida offense in recent years.
With a great deal of explosiveness gone from the wide receiver unit, much of the extra slack fell squarely on the shoulders of Cooper, who has endured constant comparisons with the departed dynamic duo. Fortunately, Cooper does not let these comparisons take him away from playing his own style.
“I don't really pay attention to the comparisons,” Cooper admitted about being measured against his former teammates. “I just want to go out there and play my game. Both of those guys are starting in the NFL right now, so just to be mentioned in the same sentence as them is an honor.”
Despite the fact he does not garner the same national attention as Harvin, Cooper has had no problems accepting his increased role this season. Through the first half of the 2009 season, he leads the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and is also averaging over 15 yards per reception. His productivity has not gone unnoticed by coaches.
“Riley is an extremely gifted athlete," head coach Urban Meyer said of his top receiver. "His speed, size and strength make him a tough matchup for defenses. Our whole offense is predicated on matchup problems for the defense and Riley certainly helps do that for us. He is a big-time playmaker.”
It is this type of playmaking ability that has made Cooper one of Tim Tebow's favorite targets. Cooper may have a slight advantage over other receivers when it comes to getting looks from the senior quarterback, however, as they are close friends and roommates.
"He has the ability to stretch the field and give us the ability to score from anywhere," Tebow said of Cooper. "He has made a bunch of big plays for us, and I'm looking forward to hooking up with him for many more big plays."
When asked if their personal relationship has translated into enhanced on-field chemistry between the two, Cooper replied, “I definitely think it helps, he trusts me a lot.”
The trust Tebow has for his receiver was evident on the game-winning drive on October 17 against SEC West rival Arkansas. With the game tied, Florida's national title hopes hanging in the balance and just three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Cooper saved his best for last. He registered three receptions, including a crucial third-down conversion that put the Gators in field-goal range, where sophomore Caleb Sturgis booted a game-winning 27-yard field goal with nine seconds showing on the clock. Cooper finished the game with a total of six receptions for 58 yards.
Although he is putting up impressive receiving numbers, he is a multi-talented and versatile player for Florida's offense.
“I look at myself as a big, physical receiver,” Cooper said of his football attributes. “Those are my two big things. I'm a good blocker on the perimeter, have good hands and good speed. I'm a big physical receiver that loves to block.”
His willingness to devote himself to blocking, when necessary, and his ability to do the task so well set him apart from other receivers, even though the “dirty work” doesn't show up on the stat sheet.
Perimeter blocking is imperative to the Gator offense that focuses so much on spreading out opposing defenses to exploit individual matchups and get speedy playmakers in the open field.
“Having the receivers block well is very important to the offense,” Cooper said. “We have great running backs who can create big plays every time they touch the ball. So having that perimeter blocking covered, that's real big for our scheme this year.”
What is it that allows Cooper to be such an effective blocker?
“I'm 6'4'' [and] 215 lbs, [so] that definitely helps,” Cooper answered when asked that very question.
But that is not the whole picture. A two-way player at Central Catholic High School in Clearwater, Cooper is used to initiating contact from time to time.
“I was a safety in high school so I go out there with a different mindset,” he offered. “Football is all about hitting and I enjoy doing it.”
His willingness to step out of the spotlight and work hard to set up big plays for his teammates illustrates Cooper's team-first mentality.
On a team full of talented playmakers used to handling the football, it would appear there just aren't enough plays to go around. It is easy to imagine teammates getting frustrated and maintaining an individualistic mindset that could doom team success.
As a senior and a leader, Cooper is determined to keep this from happening. He is intent on buying into the team concept and does not hesitate to do what is best for the team as a whole, encouraging others to follow suit.
“That's what our program is all about, toughness and family,” he said. “When guys are a family and have each other's backs and will do whatever it takes to win, that leads to championships.”
He should know, having already been a part of two national championship teams in 2006 and 2008.
When asked about his goals for the season, Cooper made no mention of personal statistics.
“I just want to play every game as hard as I possibly can, whether I get 10 catches or zero catches. I am just going to go out there and play as hard as I can, whether it's blocking or catching, and do what I can to help the team win.”
His answer further drives home his commitment to the team, but also alludes to his strong work ethic, which Cooper credits with his continued improvement on the field.
“My work ethic is huge for my success,” Cooper said. “Nobody on this team gets anything handed to them so you have to go out there and work at it. Whether it is in the weight room, on the field running routes, practicing blocking, practicing anything you want to get better at, you have to have a good work ethic about it.”
Even his teammates have taken notice of Cooper's hard work.
“I love the way he works, his work ethic and the way he goes about himself,” said cornerback and fellow senior Markihe Anderson. “I see him every day and I know what he's capable of. I have to get on my horse and every other DB out here in practice, they know when Cooper's coming he's going to give them his best.”
Although Cooper will likely be trying his hand in the ranks of professional baseball, Gators fans should not be surprised if they see him wearing shoulder pads on Sundays some day.
“Absolutely, he can be an NFL receiver in a heartbeat," Meyer said of Cooper's chances of taking his football game to the next level.
Cooper's contributions to the football team to this point of the 2009 season have been immeasurable, and by postponing his baseball career he has proven to The Gator Nation that he enjoys playing in The Swamp as much as we enjoy watching him.
-UF-
