{{Short description|American football player (born 1962)}} {{other people}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Evan Cooper | image = Evan Cooper Jan 2018.jpg | caption = Cooper in 2018 | number = 21, 20 | position = Safety, punt returner | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|6|25}} | birth_place = Miami, Florida, U.S. | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 185 | high_school = Miami Killian (Kendall, Florida) | college = Michigan | draftyear = 1984 | draftround = 4 | draftpick = 88 | pastteams = * Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|1984|1987}}) * Houston Oilers (1988)* * Atlanta Falcons ({{NFL Year|1988|1989}}) * Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|1990}})* | highlights = * First-team All-Big Ten (1983) | statlabel1 = Interceptions | statvalue1 = 11 | statlabel2 = Fumble recoveries | statvalue2 = 2 | statlabel3 = Sacks | statvalue3 = 2.0 | pfr = CoopEv20 }}
'''Evan Cooper''' (born June 28, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1980 to 1983. He played in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1984 to 1987 and Atlanta Falcons from 1988 to 1989.
==Early life and education== Cooper was born in Miami, Florida, in 1962. He attended Killian High School in the Kendall area of Miami, Florida.<ref name=PFR>{{cite web|title=Evan Cooper|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=April 7, 2015|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CoopEv20.htm}}</ref>
==University of Michigan== Cooper enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1980 and played college football as a defensive back and punt returner for head coach Bo Schembechler's Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1980 to 1983.<ref name=Roster>{{cite web|title=Michigan Football Roster Database|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|access-date=April 7, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/football.php}}</ref> He started four games at cornerback in 1981,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1981fbt.htm|title=1981 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library |access-date=April 7, 2015}}</ref> 12 games at free safety in 1982,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1982fbt.htm|title=1982 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library |access-date=April 7, 2015}}</ref> and 12 games at strong and free safety in 1983.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1983fbt.htm|title=1983 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library |access-date=April 7, 2015}}</ref> He was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team All-Big Ten defensive back in 1983.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 1, 1983 |title=Illini Puts 6 On All-Big Ten Team |page=15B |work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune (AP story)|via=Google News |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19821130&id=rE5PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vgIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6734,4951775}}</ref> In his four years at Michigan, Cooper recorded 129 tackles, 12 pass breakups, 10 interceptions, and 100 interception return yards.<ref name=Stat>{{cite web|title=Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page|publisher=University of Michigan|access-date=April 7, 2015|url=http://statsarchive.ath.umich.edu/VS-Football/footstart.php|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402151629/http://statsarchive.ath.umich.edu/VS-Football/footstart.php|url-status=dead}}(to retrieve Cooper's statistics, enter "cooper" in the box for the player's last name)</ref> He also returned 40 punts for 428 yards, an average of 10.7 yards per return.<ref name=Stat/>
==Professional football== Cooper was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round (88th overall pick) of the 1984 NFL draft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1984 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1984/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-12 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> During the 1984 and 1985 seasons, the Eagles used him as a punt returner. During those two seasons, he returned 83 punts for 614 yards, an average of 7.4 yards per return. He also returned 20 kickoffs for 331 yards, an average of 16.6 yards per return.<ref name=PFR/> In 1985, he started 13 games for the Eagles at the right cornerback position.<ref name=PFR/>
In 1988, Cooper joined the Atlanta Falcons. He was a kick returner during the 1988 season, returning two punts and 16 kickoffs. He concluded his playing career in 1989 with the Falcons, starting 13 games at the strong safety position. He intercepted four passes and had 54 interception return yards during the 1989 season.<ref name=PFR/>
==Coaching career== Cooper began the 2022 season as the cornerbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers. After a head coach change, new interim head coach Steve Wilks fired Cooper along with defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni on November 7, 2022.<ref name="panthers">{{cite news |last1=Axe |first1=Brent |title=Former SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni fired by Carolina Panthers |url=https://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2022/11/former-syracuse-head-coach-paul-pasqualoni-fired-by-carolina-panthers.html |access-date=7 November 2022 |work=syracuse.com |date=7 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Eagles1984DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Evan}} Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:American football safeties Category:Atlanta Falcons players Category:Michigan Wolverines football players Category:Philadelphia Eagles players Category:Miami Killian Senior High School alumni Category:Players of American football from Miami Category:20th-century American sportsmen