Amari Cooper facts for kids
Cooper with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021
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| No. 18 – Buffalo Bills | |||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | June 17, 1994 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Miami Northwestern | ||||||
| College: | Alabama (2012–2014) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2015 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2024 | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Amari Cooper (born June 17, 1994) is an American professional football player. He plays as a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League (NFL).
Before joining the NFL, Amari played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was a top player, winning the Biletnikoff Award in 2014. This award goes to the best wide receiver in the country. He was also named a unanimous All-American, meaning he was recognized as one of the best college players by all major selectors. In 2015, he was chosen as the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders.
Amari has had a very successful NFL career. He has been chosen for the Pro Bowl five times. He started strong with the Raiders, then played for the Dallas Cowboys, where he continued to shine. Later, he joined the Cleveland Browns, becoming the first Browns receiver with multiple 1,000-yard seasons. In 2024, he was traded to the Buffalo Bills.
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Amari Cooper's Early Life and High School Football
Amari Cooper was born on June 17, 1994, in Miami, Florida. He went to Miami Northwestern Senior High School.
As a junior, he had an injury but still caught 16 passes for 175 yards and four touchdowns. In his senior year, he caught 33 passes for 722 yards and six touchdowns. He was a top player in Florida and was invited to the 2012 Under Armour All-America Game. In this game, he scored a 75-yard touchdown and a 93-yard punt return touchdown.
Amari was also good at basketball and track. He was considered a top football recruit by many experts. He chose to play college football at the University of Alabama.
College Football Career at Alabama
Amari Cooper played for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2012 to 2014.
Freshman Year (2012)
As a freshman, Amari played in all 14 games. He led his team with 59 catches for 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns. His 11 touchdowns broke a 62-year-old school record. He also broke freshman records for catches and receiving yards.
In the 2012 SEC Championship Game, he helped Alabama win with eight catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. In the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, he had six catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama won the national championship that year. Amari was named a Freshman All-American.
Sophomore Year (2013)
In 2013, Amari played in 12 games. He had 45 catches for 736 yards and four touchdowns. His best game was against Auburn, where he had six catches for 178 yards. This included a school-record 99-yard touchdown catch.
Junior Year (2014)
In 2014, Amari had an amazing season. He set many new records for Alabama. He caught 124 passes for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns. These were all school records. His 124 catches also set a record for the SEC.
He became Alabama's all-time leader in catches (228), receiving yards (3,463), and receiving touchdowns (31). Amari was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, which is given to the most outstanding player in college football. He won the Biletnikoff Award and was named a unanimous All-American. After his junior season, Amari decided to enter the 2015 NFL draft.
Amari Cooper's NFL Journey
Amari Cooper was one of the most exciting wide receiver prospects in the 2015 NFL Draft. Many experts thought he would be picked in the top 10.
Oakland Raiders (2015–2018)
The Oakland Raiders picked Amari Cooper as the fourth overall player in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Starting Strong (2015-2016 Seasons)
Amari made his NFL debut on September 13, 2015. In his second game, he caught his first touchdown pass. He quickly set new rookie records for the Raiders. He was the first rookie in Raiders history to get over 1,000 receiving yards. He also had 72 catches, which was another rookie record. Amari was chosen as an alternate for the Pro Bowl and ended up playing in it. He was also named to the PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team.
In his second season (2016), Amari continued to play well. He had 83 catches for 1,153 yards and five touchdowns. He was named to his second straight Pro Bowl.
Tougher Season (2017)
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The 2017 season was a bit harder for Amari. He had some games with fewer catches and yards. However, in one amazing game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he caught 11 passes for a career-high 210 yards and two touchdowns. This was one of the best games by any NFL player that season. He finished the season with 48 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns.
Dallas Cowboys (2018–2021)
Midway through the 2018 season, Amari Cooper was traded to the Dallas Cowboys. This move helped his career a lot.
Flourishing in Dallas (2018-2019 Seasons)
In his first game with the Cowboys, he scored a touchdown. On Thanksgiving Day, he had a huge game with eight catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns, including a 90-yard score. Two weeks later, he had an even bigger game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He caught 10 passes for a career-high 217 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Cowboys win in overtime. His 217 yards were the most by any player in a single game that season. He earned his third Pro Bowl nomination.
The Cowboys made the playoffs, and Amari continued to perform well. He had 75 catches for 1,005 yards and seven touchdowns in 2018.
In 2019, Amari said that changing teams was "really necessary" for his success. He had another fantastic season, setting a new career high with 1,189 receiving yards. He also caught 79 passes and scored eight touchdowns. He was named to his fourth Pro Bowl.
Continued Success (2020-2021 Seasons)
In 2020, Amari signed a big contract extension with the Cowboys. He continued to be a key player, catching a career-high 92 passes for 1,114 yards and five touchdowns.
In 2021, he started the season strong with 13 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the first game. He finished the season with 68 catches for 865 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns.
Cleveland Browns (2022–2024)
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In March 2022, Amari Cooper was traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Making History (2022-2023 Seasons)
In 2022, he had a great first season with the Browns. He recorded 1,160 yards on 78 catches and scored a career-high nine touchdowns.
In 2023, Amari had an incredible game against the Houston Texans, catching passes for a career-high 265 yards. This broke the Browns' record for most receiving yards in a single game. He also became only the second player in NFL history to have a 200+ yard game for three different teams. He was named to his fifth Pro Bowl. He finished the 2023 season with a career-high 1,250 receiving yards. He was the first Browns wide receiver to have two 1,000-yard seasons in a row.
Moving On (2024 Season)
Amari started the 2024 season with the Browns, but after six games, he was traded to a new team.
Buffalo Bills (2024–Present)
On October 15, 2024, the Browns traded Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills.
He played in his first game for the Bills in Week 7, catching four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. In a Week 13 game, Amari made a special play. He caught a pass from quarterback Josh Allen and then lateraled (threw the ball backward) it back to Allen, who then scored a touchdown. This meant Allen got both a passing and a receiving touchdown on the same play! Amari finished the 2024 season with 44 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns.
Amari Cooper's Personal Life
Amari Cooper loves playing chess. He first got interested in the game when he was in elementary school. He even sees how chess strategies can help him on the football field. He played in a chess tournament for NFL players called BlitzChamps and came in second place.
See Also
In Spanish: Amari Cooper para niños
- List of NCAA major college football yearly receiving leaders
Images for kids
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Cooper with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021
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Montae Nicholson of the Washington Redskins makes an interception over Cooper.
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Cooper in 2017
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Cooper alongside Landon Collins in a game against the Washington Redskins
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Cooper at training camp in 2023
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