Stephen Cooper (American Football) - College Career

College Career

Cooper verbally committed to attend the U.S. Naval Academy but transferred closer to home at the University of Maine to try and earn a scholarship. In an interview with Tom Shanahan, Cooper said his decision was a family one. “We weren’t really thinking about professional football," Cooper said, "We were thinking about a job after college, and if you go to the Naval Academy, you’re not going to get turned away for a job.” Because his high school coach and Maine Head Coach Jack Cosgrove played together in college, Cooper was offered a scholarship and became an instant star. Cooper earned Maine’s Roger Ellis Rookie of Year Award his freshman year in 1999. As a junior, Cooper earned Atlantic-10 Co-Defensive Player of Year. During his senior year, Cooper racked up Atlantic-10 Conference Defensive Player of Year in 2002, the George H. “Bulger” Lowe award from the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston as the top defensive football player in New England, and was named a 1st Team Defense 2002 Associated Press NCAA Division I-AA Football All-American. He was also an American Football Coaches Association and Sports Network All-American as well.

In a game against Appalachian State, Cooper was named an I-AA All Star where he "turned the game around late in the third quarter, forcing ASU quarterback Joe Burchette into an interception with Maine trailing 10-0. The Black Bears scored two plays later and pulled out a 14-13 win. Cooper had 13 tackles, three solo and 10 assisted, three tackles for 15 yards of losses and two quarterback sacks for 14 yards of losses." Throughout his college career spanning four years from 1999–2002, Cooper finished with 374 tackles, 57 tackles for loss, seven interceptions and 25 sacks.