Football

Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp lives for Christ while shining on the football field

By Jason Romano Sep 28, 2018
Cooper Kupp in 2017 (Photo Courtesy: NCAA_FCS/Twitter)

Cooper Kupp caught nine passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns on Thursday night, as the Rams moved to 4-0, defeating the Vikings 38-31.

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For Kupp, 25, it was a career-high in receptions, yards and touchdowns. The fans in Los Angeles were chanting his name in a nationally-televised game that may have put him on the map as one of the top young receivers in the NFL.

“It gets you fired up, no doubt, hearing the ‘Coop’ chants — you love it,” Kupp told the LA Times after the game. “The atmosphere in the Coliseum tonight was incredible. Those fans, it’s electric when you have these home games on Thursday night. It’s so much fun to play in that environment.”

Selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Kupp grew up in Yakima, Wash., and played his college ball at little-known Eastern Washington, where he shattered Jerry Rice’s FCS career record for receiving yards. In his four years with the Eagles, Kupp had 428 receptions for 6,464 yards and 73 touchdowns. He was named the Big Sky Player of the Year in both 2015 and 2016, and won the Walter Payton award for the most outstanding college football player in the Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision.

Kupp hails from a family with football heritage. Cooper’s grandfather, Jake Kupp, played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. His dad, Craig, also was drafted into the NFL in 1990 by the New York Giants, and had stints with the Phoenix Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys.

Equally as important is the family’s faith in Jesus Christ.

“It’s part of who we are,” Craig told the Yakima Herald in 2016. “Our relationship with Jesus is the center of our life.”

Added Jake, “You have to rely on a strength greater than yourself.”

“Knowing where your identity is and knowing that as much as I want to be a football player and I strive to be that, I’m so much more than that,” Cooper said in 2017. “This life is temporary but there’s such great things ahead. No matter what the naysayers say, no matter what anyone tells me, I know that my identity is in Christ and nothing can take me off off that.”

Through four games, the Rams are undefeated and Kupp has 24 receptions for 348 yards, and he leads the team with four touchdowns. Los Angeles will enjoy the extra few days off before getting back at it Oct. 7 at Seattle.

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