Twitter
    Sportspress Northwest
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • NCAA
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    Twitter
    Sportspress Northwest
    Twitter
    Home » Cooper, Cougars’ top D-lineman, opts for draft
    Football

    Cooper, Cougars’ top D-lineman, opts for draft

    Howie StalwickBy Howie StalwickJanuary 2, 2015Updated:January 3, 2015No Comments2 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email

    The football rebuilding process at Washington State took a turn for the worse Friday afternoon when defensive lineman Xavier Cooper informed sportspressnw.com  that he will bypass his senior year and declare for the NFL draft.

    “It was a long and hard decision,” Cooper said by phone from his home in Tacoma.

    Cooper said he will remain “a Cougar for life,” and he said the football program is “on the way up.” The former Wilson High School star said WSU coaches were “disappointed” he’s leaving early, but were “very supportive” of him.

    “Playing in the National Football League has always been a dream of mine,” Cooper said. “I feel I’m mentally and physically ready.”

    Cooper, 23, said he will finish work on his degree in criminal justice by taking online courses this semester. He plans to leave Sunday for San Diego, where he will train for three months. Now that he’s declared for the draft, Cooper said he expects to be invited to the NFL scouting dombine and be drafted in the third or fourth round.

    Cooper said the NFL Draft Advisory Board advised him to remain in school. Beginning this year, that is the only option the board recommends if a player is not projected to go in the first or second round.

    Cooper, a three-year starter at defensive tackle or end, led the Cougars with five quarterback sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. He led linemen with 37 total tackles.

    Cooper did not earn all-conference honors in the Pac-12 after making honorable mention as a redshirt freshman in 2012. The 6-foot-4, 299-pounder said he believes the 3-4 defense employed by WSU did not always let him display his full range of skills.

    Cooper expressed his gratitude to a long list of people at WSU, including former coaches Paul Wulff and Mike Levenseller, current coaches Joe Salave’a, Jason Loscalzo (strength and conditioning) and Mike Leach and academic advisor Heather Erwin.

    Salave’a, WSU’s defensive line coach, is a former NFL defensive lineman. Cooper said Salave’a has been “like a second father” to him.

    “He’s gotten me ready (for the NFL),” Cooper said. “I think I’ve got a great chance of excelling at the next level because of him.”

     

    Share. Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email

    Related Posts

    The day that college sports start to go pro

    July 1, 2021

    NCAA amateurism is dead. Mayhem will fill the void

    June 24, 2021

    Thiel: Gonzaga’s Few sounds the alarm on NIL

    June 14, 2021

    Comments are closed.

    • Follow @Art_Thiel on Twitter
    Use our affiliate link on Amazon

    Subscribe to Our Weekly Roundup

    Get the top stories sent to your inbox every Thursday.

    Art Thiel on KNKX 88.5FM

    Kirsten Kendrick's Q. & A. with Thiel can be heard every Friday during Morning Edition at 5:45am and 7:45am and again that same day on All Things Considered at 4:44pm. It also airs Saturday at 9:35am.

    Listen now!
    Latest Posts

    A few musings about sports journalism as the unwinding begins

    February 18, 2022

    Carroll’s staff makeover seeks to get Wilson back in the game

    February 16, 2022

    Arizona loss unmasks truths about Hopkins, UW hoops

    February 15, 2022

    Rams win a survivors contest called the Super Bowl

    February 14, 2022
    Twitter
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • NCAA
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    © 2023 Sportspress Northwest

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.