ALL-TIME BOBCATS TOP 25: #24 Roger Cooper
8/13/2022 2:30:00 PM | Football
After a spectacular career as a high school running back and hurdler, Roger Cooper became a legendary linebacker at MSU
Today we look at Montana State's 23-ranked all-time football player, a Big Sky MVP and All-America who proved to be a foundational element of Mike Kramer's first recruiting class and a key figure in flipping the Cats from a struggling program to multiple championships.
Roger Cooper, LB, 2001-04
ALL-TIME TEAM: None previously
HONORS: Big Sky Defensive MVP in 2004, 2nd Team All-America and 1st Team All-Big Sky in 2004, 1st Team All-Big Sky in 2003, 1st Team All-Big Sky in 2002
A CLOSER LOOK: Watching Roger Cooper chase down a running back from behind was like seeing a lion stalk its prey on a Discovery Channel documentary.
It was graceful, but savage... fun, but a little frightening... exhilarating and electrifying and an absolute sight to behold.
Cooper was among several diamonds in Mike Kramer's first recruiting class. Afforded the opportunity to redshirt during MSU's winless 2000 season, the former Seattle Times Top 10 Recruits in Washington who was a high school hurdler developed strength and filled out his frame, and by 2001 he was contributing on kick teams and seeing action as a reserve linebacker. He forced a fumble and logged 13 tackles - one for a loss - that season.
As a sophomore he blossomed into a star. He tackled 17 opponents behind the line of scrimmage, logged 3.5 sacks, and picked off the only three passes of his career while breaking up seven others. He recovered two of his four career fumbles.
His most impactful moment may have come during Montana State's unforgettable suffocation of the Grizzlies' offense in the Big Sky-clinching win in Missoula. He recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass, and broke up two others.
In MSU's last three games of 2002 Cooper intercepted two passes and broke up six, with 1.5 tackles for loss, and that finish boosted him not only to 1st Team All-Big Sky honors as a sophomore but to his legendary career. He earned 2nd Team All-America honors in 2003, when he registered a career-best 96 tackles, 14 for a loss, with 3.5 sacks and one fumble forced and recovered. Again he was at his best when it was needed the most, logging 12 tackles, one-half behind the line, with a pass breakup as the Bobcats beat the Grizzlies in Bozeman, then had nine more tackles at Northern Iowa in the playoff loss.
As a senior Cooper held together a defense that struggled under the weight of injuries, getting 68 tackles, 14 for a loss, with five sacks. He broke up three passes, forced and recovered a fumble, and blocked a kick
Cooper remains in the top 10 in school history in tackles-for-loss, and was MSU's most recent three-time 1st Team All-Big Sky selection until Troy Andersen came along. Coopers' stats and records remain a marvel, but it's the imagery of his play that really lingers in the imagination.
More than anything else, though, Roger Cooper was part and parcel with getting Montana State football turned around. He is one of the greatest players ever to wear the Blue and Gold.
FROM TEAMMATE TRAVIS LULAY: "Coop was such a freak athlete. He's such a nice guy, bubbly, soft-spoken, sort of a high-pitched voice, and you don't expect that when you see him on the football field. There was almost a switch that got flipped. I was at Coop's house on my recruiting trip, and I remember playing Super Mario Brothers. I was tired from playing high school basketball the night before, some guys like to go out on their recruiting visits but I enjoyed hanging out at Coop's. I remember someone told me, 'That guy can really run,' and I thought, at his size how can he run that fast? But he could, and he was a smart football player,. He was everywhere on the field. It was pretty cool to see him hurdle over a handful of guys, and he developed into that guy that could make almost any play."
FROM BOBCAT ASSISTANT COACH AND FORMER TEAMMATE JIMMY BEAL: "Freak athlete. In my head I just now saw Roger chasing me down from the backside in outside zone. And all I saw was open field, but I felt this mammoth man, Roger Cooper, coming from behind. He's a freak athlete and he was a really good football player."
FROM FORMER BOBCAT HEAD COACH MIKE KRAMER: "Roger was a 1,700 yard rusher at tailback at South Kitsap High School, one of the most prestigious programs in Washington state. As he sifted through the recruiting process he ended up with scholarship offers from only us and Eastern Washington. He was very fast for a linebacker. He ran 14.3 in the 110 (high hurdles) in high school.
"Roger was tall, long, bigger than imagined when he got to campus. He was dynamic, such a massively important component of the great Pete Kwiatkowski defenses. He had great hands and was a downhill hitter. He was super in coverage and lightning on the blitz, a very productive player.
"He is highly-honored, and deservingly so. He was durable, never missed a practice or game, and was part of our most remarkable first recruiting class. Coop was very artistic, a photography major, and not a knuckle-dragging snot bubble linebacker, but he was never one to back down. He has become one of the top coaches in the Big Sky, an all-time Bobcat, a great son, teammate and classmate. His career at Montana State was the epitome of great recruiting, great coaching, and consistent all-around outstanding performance. He is one of my all-time top five! And somehow it seems like I'm not saying nearly enough!"
FROM FORMER BOBCAT PLAY-BY-PLAY VOICE KRIS ATTEBERRY: "Super Duper Roger Cooper could play. He always reminded me of a phrase my grandpa would use to compliment tha dog that worked sheep. He said the best dogs could 'run on wool' because if they got caught on the wrong side of the flock they would literally run across the backs of the sheep to get where they needed to be. Coop could run on wool, making all sorts of plays when he seemed like he was nowhere near the ball."
Roger Cooper, LB, 2001-04
ALL-TIME TEAM: None previously
HONORS: Big Sky Defensive MVP in 2004, 2nd Team All-America and 1st Team All-Big Sky in 2004, 1st Team All-Big Sky in 2003, 1st Team All-Big Sky in 2002
A CLOSER LOOK: Watching Roger Cooper chase down a running back from behind was like seeing a lion stalk its prey on a Discovery Channel documentary.
It was graceful, but savage... fun, but a little frightening... exhilarating and electrifying and an absolute sight to behold.
Cooper was among several diamonds in Mike Kramer's first recruiting class. Afforded the opportunity to redshirt during MSU's winless 2000 season, the former Seattle Times Top 10 Recruits in Washington who was a high school hurdler developed strength and filled out his frame, and by 2001 he was contributing on kick teams and seeing action as a reserve linebacker. He forced a fumble and logged 13 tackles - one for a loss - that season.
As a sophomore he blossomed into a star. He tackled 17 opponents behind the line of scrimmage, logged 3.5 sacks, and picked off the only three passes of his career while breaking up seven others. He recovered two of his four career fumbles.
His most impactful moment may have come during Montana State's unforgettable suffocation of the Grizzlies' offense in the Big Sky-clinching win in Missoula. He recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass, and broke up two others.
In MSU's last three games of 2002 Cooper intercepted two passes and broke up six, with 1.5 tackles for loss, and that finish boosted him not only to 1st Team All-Big Sky honors as a sophomore but to his legendary career. He earned 2nd Team All-America honors in 2003, when he registered a career-best 96 tackles, 14 for a loss, with 3.5 sacks and one fumble forced and recovered. Again he was at his best when it was needed the most, logging 12 tackles, one-half behind the line, with a pass breakup as the Bobcats beat the Grizzlies in Bozeman, then had nine more tackles at Northern Iowa in the playoff loss.
As a senior Cooper held together a defense that struggled under the weight of injuries, getting 68 tackles, 14 for a loss, with five sacks. He broke up three passes, forced and recovered a fumble, and blocked a kick
Cooper remains in the top 10 in school history in tackles-for-loss, and was MSU's most recent three-time 1st Team All-Big Sky selection until Troy Andersen came along. Coopers' stats and records remain a marvel, but it's the imagery of his play that really lingers in the imagination.
More than anything else, though, Roger Cooper was part and parcel with getting Montana State football turned around. He is one of the greatest players ever to wear the Blue and Gold.
FROM TEAMMATE TRAVIS LULAY: "Coop was such a freak athlete. He's such a nice guy, bubbly, soft-spoken, sort of a high-pitched voice, and you don't expect that when you see him on the football field. There was almost a switch that got flipped. I was at Coop's house on my recruiting trip, and I remember playing Super Mario Brothers. I was tired from playing high school basketball the night before, some guys like to go out on their recruiting visits but I enjoyed hanging out at Coop's. I remember someone told me, 'That guy can really run,' and I thought, at his size how can he run that fast? But he could, and he was a smart football player,. He was everywhere on the field. It was pretty cool to see him hurdle over a handful of guys, and he developed into that guy that could make almost any play."
FROM BOBCAT ASSISTANT COACH AND FORMER TEAMMATE JIMMY BEAL: "Freak athlete. In my head I just now saw Roger chasing me down from the backside in outside zone. And all I saw was open field, but I felt this mammoth man, Roger Cooper, coming from behind. He's a freak athlete and he was a really good football player."
FROM FORMER BOBCAT HEAD COACH MIKE KRAMER: "Roger was a 1,700 yard rusher at tailback at South Kitsap High School, one of the most prestigious programs in Washington state. As he sifted through the recruiting process he ended up with scholarship offers from only us and Eastern Washington. He was very fast for a linebacker. He ran 14.3 in the 110 (high hurdles) in high school.
"Roger was tall, long, bigger than imagined when he got to campus. He was dynamic, such a massively important component of the great Pete Kwiatkowski defenses. He had great hands and was a downhill hitter. He was super in coverage and lightning on the blitz, a very productive player.
"He is highly-honored, and deservingly so. He was durable, never missed a practice or game, and was part of our most remarkable first recruiting class. Coop was very artistic, a photography major, and not a knuckle-dragging snot bubble linebacker, but he was never one to back down. He has become one of the top coaches in the Big Sky, an all-time Bobcat, a great son, teammate and classmate. His career at Montana State was the epitome of great recruiting, great coaching, and consistent all-around outstanding performance. He is one of my all-time top five! And somehow it seems like I'm not saying nearly enough!"
FROM FORMER BOBCAT PLAY-BY-PLAY VOICE KRIS ATTEBERRY: "Super Duper Roger Cooper could play. He always reminded me of a phrase my grandpa would use to compliment tha dog that worked sheep. He said the best dogs could 'run on wool' because if they got caught on the wrong side of the flock they would literally run across the backs of the sheep to get where they needed to be. Coop could run on wool, making all sorts of plays when he seemed like he was nowhere near the ball."
Players Mentioned
RB/LB
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