Stephen Cooper (American football) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stephen Cooper

Cooper with the San Diego Chargers in 2009
No. 54
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(1979-06-19) June 19, 1979 (age 46) Wareham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:	Wareham (MA)
College:	Maine
Undrafted:	2003
Career history
San Diego Chargers (2003–2011)
Career highlights and awards
2× A-10 Defensive POY (2001, 2002) George H. "Bulger" Lowe Award (2002)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 503 Sacks: 9.5 Forced fumbles: 8 Fumble recoveries: 5 Interceptions: 8
Player stats at PFR

Stephen Cooper (born June 19, 1979) is a former American football player. He played as a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers. This team is part of the National Football League (NFL). Stephen played his entire professional career with the Chargers. He joined them in 2003 after playing college football at the University of Maine.

Stephen Cooper's College Football Journey

Stephen Cooper first thought about attending the U.S. Naval Academy. However, he decided to transfer to the University of Maine. This move brought him closer to home. He hoped to earn a scholarship there. Stephen mentioned that this decision was a family one. They were thinking about a job after college. His high school coach and the Maine Black Bears football head coach, Jack Cosgrove, knew each other. This connection helped Stephen get a scholarship.

Becoming a College Star

Stephen quickly became a star player at Maine. In his first year, 1999, he won the Roger Ellis Rookie of the Year Award. As a junior, he was named the Atlantic-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year. In his senior year, 2002, he earned even more awards. He was the Atlantic-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He also received the George H. "Bulger" Lowe award. This award is for the top defensive football player in New England. Stephen was also named a 1st Team Defense All-American by the Associated Press.

Key College Game Moments

Stephen Cooper was known for making big plays. In one game against Appalachian State, he helped turn the game around. Maine was losing 10-0 in the third quarter. Stephen forced the opposing quarterback to throw an interception. Maine then scored two plays later. They went on to win the game 14-13. In that game, Stephen had 13 tackles and two sacks.

Throughout his four years in college (1999-2002), Stephen had impressive stats. He finished with 374 tackles. He also had 57 tackles that caused a loss of yards for the other team. He made seven interceptions and 25 sacks.

Stephen Cooper's Professional Football Career

The San Diego Chargers signed Stephen Cooper on May 2, 2003. He joined them as an undrafted free agent. This means he was not chosen in the NFL draft but was signed directly by a team. For his first four years, he mostly played as a backup.

Breakout Seasons and Injuries

Stephen had a great season in 2007. He started all 16 games and made a career-high 107 tackles. The next two seasons were also very successful for him. He made a total of 201 tackles and started 28 games. In 2010, he played 12 games and had 43 tackles. However, he was placed on the Injured Reserve (IR) list on December 31, 2010. This meant his season ended early due to injury. He played five more games in 2011 before another injury. He was placed on IR again on October 12, 2011.

Stephen Cooper played his entire nine-season career with the San Diego Chargers. He played in 125 games. During his career, he recorded 503 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and 8 interceptions. He also played in 8 playoff games for the Chargers. In those games, he had 68 tackles and 0.5 sacks.

Stephen Cooper's NFL Career Statistics

Here are Stephen Cooper's statistics from his time in the NFL.

Regular Season Statistics

Playoff Statistics