Pharoh Cooper facts for kids
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Cooper with the Carolina Panthers in 2020
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| Position: | Wide receiver Return specialist |
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| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | March 7, 1995 Havelock, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Havelock | ||||||||
| College: | South Carolina (2013–2015) | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2016 / Round: 4 / Pick: 117 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Pharoh Cooper (born March 7, 1995) is a former professional football player. He played as a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). Cooper played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks. He was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2016 NFL Draft. He also played for several other NFL teams during his career.
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Early Life and High School
Pharoh Cooper grew up in Havelock, North Carolina. His father, grandfather, and brother all served in the Marine Corps. Cooper went to Havelock High School. He was a very versatile player there. He played many positions, including quarterback, wide receiver, running back, and defensive back. Experts thought he was a top player coming out of high school. He decided to play college football at the University of South Carolina.
College Football Career
Cooper played college football for the University of South Carolina. He started as a defensive player but moved to wide receiver before his first year. In his freshman year, he played in 11 games. He caught passes, ran with the ball, and even threw a few passes.
During his second year in 2014, Cooper had an amazing game against Tennessee. He set a school record with 233 receiving yards in that game. He was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the 2014 Independence Bowl. That season, he caught 69 passes for 1,136 yards and nine touchdowns. He was named to the First-team All-SEC. In his junior year (2015), he continued to play well. After this season, he decided to enter the NFL Draft.
Professional Football Career
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams picked Pharoh Cooper in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract with the team. In his first year, he played in 10 games. He mostly helped the team by returning kicks and sometimes punts.
In 2017, Cooper became the Rams' main return specialist. In one game, he scored his first NFL touchdown with an exciting 103-yard kick return. This play earned him the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award. Later that year, he was chosen for the 2018 Pro Bowl as a return specialist. This is a big honor for a player.
In 2018, Cooper had an ankle injury early in the season. He was placed on injured reserve but returned later that year. The Rams released him in December 2018.
Playing for Other Teams
After leaving the Rams, Cooper played for several other NFL teams.
- He joined the Arizona Cardinals for a short time in late 2018.
- In 2019, he played briefly for the Cincinnati Bengals.
- He then returned to the Arizona Cardinals later in 2019.
- In 2020, Cooper signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers.
- He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021.
- Later in 2021, he joined the New York Giants practice squad and played in some games.
- In 2022, he had a third time with the Arizona Cardinals.
Pharoh Cooper announced his retirement from professional football on June 10, 2024. He finished his career with 61 receptions for 545 receiving yards and 2 total touchdowns. He was also a strong return specialist, gaining 3,954 return yards.
