Indiana University Athletics
Cooper Ends Career With An MVP-Worthy Year
12/16/2015 7:43:00 PM | Football
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Michael Cooper's numbers don't necessarily jump off the box score. The fifth-year senior tight end had 16 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns in his second year of eligibility at Indiana after transferring from Arizona three years ago.
But don't even begin to downplay his importance in Indiana's Pinstripe Bowl run with offensive coordinator Kevin Johns.
"I honestly think he's our MVP," Johns said. "And I know we have Jordan Howard, who's a great player, and Nate Sudfeld, (Jason) Spriggs and (Dan) Feeney, but I think Michael Cooper is."
The Big Ten's coaches and media both took notice, too, naming Cooper honorable mention all-conference last week. Even Cooper admits he was a little surprised when he heard the news because he said his best work typically goes unnoticed.
"Totally unexpected," he said.
That's because Cooper's a blocking tight end by trade, more lineman than receiver.
He'd rather hold back the linebacker to get his teammate open than catch the ball himself.
"That's my biggest pride, always has been," Cooper said. "Ever since I've been playing tight end, it's about finishing guys. Knock them on the ground. Catching the football has always been something where if I'm asked to do it, obviously I'm going to try as hard as I can, but I've always been a blocker before a receiver."
It's that unselfishness that earned Cooper the MVP nod from Johns, who said he can't say enough about him. Over the last three seasons, Cooper has been quietly building himself into one of Indiana's most consistent and versatile tight ends lined up alongside a pair of All-America linemen.
And it almost never happened.
Cooper decided in August 2013 that he wanted to give up his scholarship at Arizona to transfer to Bloomington where there wasn't a scholarship waiting. If he wanted to be a Hoosier, he'd have to do it as a walk-on.
After sitting out the entire 2013 season as required by the NCAA, Cooper earned a scholarship during last year's preseason camp despite never playing a down in a game for IU. The coaches saw the work he was putting in behind the scenes and figured it was a matter of time before he'd be impacting the Hoosiers on the field.
"He's just a worker," tight ends coach James Patton said. "He's an unbelievable worker."
Cooper backed up what the staff saw in practice on the field in 2014, appearing in all 12 games and helping block for Tevin Coleman's All-America campaign. He had just two catches for 25 yards in his first year in Bloomington before seeing those numbers drastically increase in his final season.
Not that Cooper put too much thought into his own numbers. He'd be quicker to talk about Coleman's.
"Man, he's an unselfish kid," Johns said. "All he wants to do is win."
That's exactly how he wants to end his career, too—winning.
Cooper put in an MVP-worthy final season and has just one game left in his Indiana career. He came to IU expecting to help the Hoosiers to a bowl game, and now that they're there, he doesn't want to leave New York City without a trophy and a win over Duke.
"Winning would cap a career for me," Cooper said. "Winning the bowl is the most important thing. Knowing I won my last football game ever would be the perfect end."
#####
Indiana (6-6) will face Duke (7-5) in the 2015 New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 26. The game will be held at Yankee Stadium with a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC. Student tickets for the Pinstripe Bowl are just $10 and can be purchased by clicking here. Tickets for the general public can be purchased by clicking here.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Michael Cooper's numbers don't necessarily jump off the box score. The fifth-year senior tight end had 16 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns in his second year of eligibility at Indiana after transferring from Arizona three years ago.
But don't even begin to downplay his importance in Indiana's Pinstripe Bowl run with offensive coordinator Kevin Johns.
"I honestly think he's our MVP," Johns said. "And I know we have Jordan Howard, who's a great player, and Nate Sudfeld, (Jason) Spriggs and (Dan) Feeney, but I think Michael Cooper is."
The Big Ten's coaches and media both took notice, too, naming Cooper honorable mention all-conference last week. Even Cooper admits he was a little surprised when he heard the news because he said his best work typically goes unnoticed.
"Totally unexpected," he said.
That's because Cooper's a blocking tight end by trade, more lineman than receiver.
He'd rather hold back the linebacker to get his teammate open than catch the ball himself.
"That's my biggest pride, always has been," Cooper said. "Ever since I've been playing tight end, it's about finishing guys. Knock them on the ground. Catching the football has always been something where if I'm asked to do it, obviously I'm going to try as hard as I can, but I've always been a blocker before a receiver."
It's that unselfishness that earned Cooper the MVP nod from Johns, who said he can't say enough about him. Over the last three seasons, Cooper has been quietly building himself into one of Indiana's most consistent and versatile tight ends lined up alongside a pair of All-America linemen.
And it almost never happened.
Cooper decided in August 2013 that he wanted to give up his scholarship at Arizona to transfer to Bloomington where there wasn't a scholarship waiting. If he wanted to be a Hoosier, he'd have to do it as a walk-on.
After sitting out the entire 2013 season as required by the NCAA, Cooper earned a scholarship during last year's preseason camp despite never playing a down in a game for IU. The coaches saw the work he was putting in behind the scenes and figured it was a matter of time before he'd be impacting the Hoosiers on the field.
"He's just a worker," tight ends coach James Patton said. "He's an unbelievable worker."
Cooper backed up what the staff saw in practice on the field in 2014, appearing in all 12 games and helping block for Tevin Coleman's All-America campaign. He had just two catches for 25 yards in his first year in Bloomington before seeing those numbers drastically increase in his final season.
Not that Cooper put too much thought into his own numbers. He'd be quicker to talk about Coleman's.
"Man, he's an unselfish kid," Johns said. "All he wants to do is win."
That's exactly how he wants to end his career, too—winning.
Cooper put in an MVP-worthy final season and has just one game left in his Indiana career. He came to IU expecting to help the Hoosiers to a bowl game, and now that they're there, he doesn't want to leave New York City without a trophy and a win over Duke.
"Winning would cap a career for me," Cooper said. "Winning the bowl is the most important thing. Knowing I won my last football game ever would be the perfect end."
#####
Indiana (6-6) will face Duke (7-5) in the 2015 New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 26. The game will be held at Yankee Stadium with a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC. Student tickets for the Pinstripe Bowl are just $10 and can be purchased by clicking here. Tickets for the general public can be purchased by clicking here.
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