My Carolina Experience: Jonathan Cooper
May 27, 2015 | Football
My Carolina Experience: Jonathan Cooper
By Zoya Johnson, GoHeels.com
At five years old, Jonathan Cooper's father gave him a Starter reversible Carolina Panthers jacket. That moment sparked a dream for the shy but talented thick glasses kid from Wilmington, N.C. to play in the NFL.
“I knew football was going to be my ticket to getting fit and maturing physically and mentally so first I said I wanted to get a college scholarship,” says Cooper. “Where I'm from no one was really doing that so it felt impossible, but I made it happen. From that moment I knew going pro wasn't impossible either. I just had to work for it.”
By his standards, Cooper was not highly recruited coming out of high school. He recalls getting offers from most of the schools in the ACC and one in the SEC. Carolina almost lost him to Duke but he says, “I chose UNC because of the combination of great academics, the social aspect, and the history and traditions of all its athletics.
“Carolina definitely stuck out for me because of the coaching staff, the facilities, and the campus itself, so that was what drew me to Chapel Hill. When I came, they'd had a couple down years but the season I came in looked promising. We had so much talent and it looked like a school on the rise.”
Coming in Cooper's goals were to put academics first and let his hard work do the talking on the field. “I wanted to graduate first and foremost, then my goal was to become an All-America, then it was to be a first round NFL draft pick. I started off slow and shaky, but each year I saw improvement. My senior year we got a brand new coaching staff and that was the first time my goal of graduating came into question.”
A new coaching staff meant Cooper had to learn a new playbook and system, which meant he could be lowering his draft chances. The uncertainty was enough to make him consider putting his degree on hold but education had always been his top priority. After talking it all over with his family, Cooper decided to come back and finish his last year.
“I wanted that degree and I worked hard for it. I ended up finishing my senior year and all my goals were met. I became an All-America, and got drafted in the first round, so Carolina definitely helped make all my wildest dreams come true.”
Now in his third professional year with the Arizona Cardinals, Cooper has come off that high to the harsh realities of the sport. In the first game of his rookie season, Cooper broke his leg. That recovery was followed by turf toe and torn ligaments in his wrist. Regardless, Cooper has reset his goals for the NFL and his journey back is already showing promise.
For those who may be looking to follow in his footsteps Cooper had this to say, “Academics come first. There were so many players I came in with that were more talented than I was who never got a chance to get on the field and show it because they didn't take their opportunities seriously.
“Academics, your character, and the way you carry yourself are important because what you do when you think no one is looking is what is going to define you. The athletics will come naturally, but you have to make sure you're putting in the extra to better your craft so no one is out working you.”
When asked how Carolina helped him grow as a person one name was certain in Cooper's mind, Cricket Lane of Carolina's Student-Athlete Development department. He says, “Even from the smallest things like the etiquette courses and the leadership conferences that she sent us to, gave us so many tools to utilize and take out into the real world. She was always there to just listen, and sit down and talk. Cricket was like a big sister and mom who was there to give you guidance, and she introduced me to so much to help me be successful.
“After realizing that physical therapy was not in the cards for me, I learned an incredible amount from my courses in communications. The major enhanced my vocabulary and prepared me to be able to speak to people from all walks of life.
“Thanks to Carolina, I also gained an ability to talk to the media and connect with fans. The university opened me up to connections and introduced me to networking, the ability to say I'm a Tar Heel is an awesome tool because people from everywhere recognize our logo. When they find out I'm not just a fan but that I attended the institution and played there, their eyes light up. That never gets old.”
Now, as Cooper reflects on an outstanding career that earned him the honor of having his jersey honored in Kenan Stadium, an honor that he feels, ranks in the top achievements of his life thus far, he cannot help but feel a sense of pride. Alongside graduating and being drafted seventh overall in 2013, these are dreams 20 years in the making that he says, “Will only be trumped by marriage and having children, maybe a super bowl win. I'll always be proud to say, I'm Jonathan Cooper, and I'm a Tar Heel.”