The majority of the seniors on this year’s roster for the Utah football team are on scholarship. Tyler Cooperwood is not one of them, however. He’s a walk-on wide receiver, and this is his final year to make a name for himself. So far this spring, he’s been able to do so.
In the team’s second scrimmage, he was the leading receiver with four catches and 35 yards. In the first scrimmage, he made a few nice catches to bring the team close to the end zone. Although Cooperwood himself has not been able to score — something he hopes to accomplish in this Saturday’s Red-White game — he really wants to; not just for himself, but for the team, too.
Most people would assume Cooperwood has something to prove to the coaches so he could possibly earn a scholarship, but that is not the case. He plays football because he loves the game. He puts in the same amount of work and time as any other guy on the roster, despite not reaping a lot of the same benefits. It doesn’t matter to Cooperwood. So long as he is given the opportunity to play, he will continue to work hard and improve his game.
“This is my last ride. It’s my final opportunity, so I got to put it all on the line and give it everything that I got every day,” Cooperwood said. “I can’t really afford to take any days off because this is my senior year. I need to make sure that I stay focused and hungry.”
Cooperwood is not the biggest guy on the field. He stands at 5-foot-9 and only weighs 163 pounds. This puts him at somewhat of a disadvantage when he is in a position where he needs to fight for a ball, but head coach Kyle Whittingham knows Cooperwood is going to give it his best go no matter what. What he lacks in physical presence, he makes up for in other aspects when the ball is in the air.
“He’s a hard worker, he’s a tireless worker and he works as hard as anybody on the team,” Whittingham said. “He’s a tough kid, not very big, but he’s got speed and he’s got good hands and he’s had a good spring.”
As a whole, the receiving core has been making plenty of strides this spring. Although it is not quite where Whittingham would like it to be, he is sure it will meet his expectations by the time the first game rolls around in the fall.
“I know the receivers have gotten better,” Whittingham said. “They’re still not where we need them to be, but they’ve made a lot of improvement.”
While Cooperwood doesn’t feel like he needs to win the coaches over, he thinks his play on the field during practices and scrimmages will greatly affect his playing time next year. He hopes during the Red-White game that the offense can get rolling, but needs to work on a few things leading up to Saturday.
He wants to make sure he catches every ball that’s thrown his way. He’s working on his blocking, getting a better handle on assignments and overall wants to execute at a high level whenever his number is called. By doing that, maybe he’ll garner enough of Whittingham’s attention.
“I feel like I got to limit any mistakes and continue to make plays,” Cooperwood said. “I just go out there and play and contribute to the team in any way that I can. Whether that be special teams or offense, wherever they need me. I’ll let the chips fall and hopefully the coaches will notice my play.”
@kbrenneisen