Photo by: Chamberlain Smith/MSU Athletics
Cooper Getting Comfortable At State
August 21, 2021 | Football
STARKVILLE – Occasionally when freshmen go away to college there is a tendency to be homesick.
However, don't count Ty Cooper among that group.
The Mississippi State freshman linebacker grew up in Louisville, a short 30-minute drive from the Bulldogs campus but has seldom been back home since he enrolled in June.
"I go home every now and then, but I don't try to overdo it," Cooper said. "I want to be able to be out on my own and learn how to do stuff on my own. I go home maybe once a month."
And on those short visits, Cooper makes sure he sees a select group of people and then it's right back to Starkville.
"When he comes home, he just sees his mom, his grandmother and stops by to see us and then he's back on campus," said Louisville High School head coach Tyrone Shorter. "He loves it there. If he didn't have a break, I don't think he would even come home."
Although Cooper is all about being independent, it was MSU's proximity to home that drew him there in the first place.
"It played a big role (in my recruitment) because I know my family can be able to come to the games without worrying how they're going to get there," Cooper said.
Cooper chose the Bulldogs over 21 other offers including Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas. He announced his decision on national signing day in February and kept his choice a secret from everyone, including his own mother.
"That made it very special because I wanted everybody to know at one time," Cooper said. "I let everybody know right before I signed.
"That was probably one of the best days of my life signing with Mississippi State. After being around the culture and seeing the fan base and all the games, I just couldn't miss this opportunity."
The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder racked up 211 tackles, 66 tackles for loss, 22 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries during his high school career as a defensive end. As a senior, he tallied 112 tackles, 40 of which were for loss and a dozen sacks in helping the Wildcats win the Class 4A State Championship.
Cooper has added 20 pounds since he arrived at State and is learning to play Sam linebacker in Zach Arnett's 3-3-5 defensive scheme.
"It's about the same because I stood up a lot (in high school)," Cooper said. "It's just dropping back and playing in space that I've got to get better at. I've got to get better at all aspects of football now."
Cooper credits senior linebackers Tyrus Wheat and Sherman Timbs for showing him the ropes as a rookie and has already impressed his position coach with how quickly he is absorbing the playbook.
"Ty is an intelligent young man and has picked it up really quick," said outside linebackers coach Matt Brock. "He came in during the summer and we had some meeting time, but it was limited. To be thrown into the fire the way I've done to him, he's done a nice job. There's a lot on his plate right now and he's got a long way to go, but it's definitely a good start."
His high school coach has no doubt that Cooper has exactly the right makeup and mindset to be successful during his career at Mississippi State.
"He's an awesome young man," Shorter said. "He's a better person than he is a football player, and he's an awesome football player. I had the pleasure to work with him and coach him for two years and he's one of those guys that is high on my list. He has a high IQ and is very smart and an intelligent young man.
"He's one of those kids that's going to do everything the right way. He's the first one in the building and the last one to leave. He's one of those kids that as a coach you really enjoy coaching because of his work ethic. You know what you're going to get from this kid. He loves the game of football, and the sky is the limit for him."
However, don't count Ty Cooper among that group.
The Mississippi State freshman linebacker grew up in Louisville, a short 30-minute drive from the Bulldogs campus but has seldom been back home since he enrolled in June.
"I go home every now and then, but I don't try to overdo it," Cooper said. "I want to be able to be out on my own and learn how to do stuff on my own. I go home maybe once a month."
And on those short visits, Cooper makes sure he sees a select group of people and then it's right back to Starkville.
"When he comes home, he just sees his mom, his grandmother and stops by to see us and then he's back on campus," said Louisville High School head coach Tyrone Shorter. "He loves it there. If he didn't have a break, I don't think he would even come home."
Although Cooper is all about being independent, it was MSU's proximity to home that drew him there in the first place.
"It played a big role (in my recruitment) because I know my family can be able to come to the games without worrying how they're going to get there," Cooper said.
Cooper chose the Bulldogs over 21 other offers including Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas. He announced his decision on national signing day in February and kept his choice a secret from everyone, including his own mother.
"That made it very special because I wanted everybody to know at one time," Cooper said. "I let everybody know right before I signed.
"That was probably one of the best days of my life signing with Mississippi State. After being around the culture and seeing the fan base and all the games, I just couldn't miss this opportunity."
The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder racked up 211 tackles, 66 tackles for loss, 22 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries during his high school career as a defensive end. As a senior, he tallied 112 tackles, 40 of which were for loss and a dozen sacks in helping the Wildcats win the Class 4A State Championship.
Cooper has added 20 pounds since he arrived at State and is learning to play Sam linebacker in Zach Arnett's 3-3-5 defensive scheme.
"It's about the same because I stood up a lot (in high school)," Cooper said. "It's just dropping back and playing in space that I've got to get better at. I've got to get better at all aspects of football now."
Cooper credits senior linebackers Tyrus Wheat and Sherman Timbs for showing him the ropes as a rookie and has already impressed his position coach with how quickly he is absorbing the playbook.
"Ty is an intelligent young man and has picked it up really quick," said outside linebackers coach Matt Brock. "He came in during the summer and we had some meeting time, but it was limited. To be thrown into the fire the way I've done to him, he's done a nice job. There's a lot on his plate right now and he's got a long way to go, but it's definitely a good start."
His high school coach has no doubt that Cooper has exactly the right makeup and mindset to be successful during his career at Mississippi State.
"He's an awesome young man," Shorter said. "He's a better person than he is a football player, and he's an awesome football player. I had the pleasure to work with him and coach him for two years and he's one of those guys that is high on my list. He has a high IQ and is very smart and an intelligent young man.
"He's one of those kids that's going to do everything the right way. He's the first one in the building and the last one to leave. He's one of those kids that as a coach you really enjoy coaching because of his work ethic. You know what you're going to get from this kid. He loves the game of football, and the sky is the limit for him."
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