Last week I sat down with former Clemson Linebacker Scotty Cooper for an interview. Cooper joined the Tiger football program in the fall of 2007. As a freshman he played in twelve games and started in two of them. Cooper’s bright smile and southern drawl helps to charms those he meets; but it was the energy he brought when entering Death Valley on special teams that won over the fans.
In late August of 2010, Cooper decided to hang up his cleats and pads for a headset and a pair of khakis. He suffered nerve damage as a result of a 2009 neck injury he underwent during a game in Maryland. Because of the severity of his injuries, Cooper boldly made the decision to no longer play football and began coaching. This past 2011 season Cooper did not continue coaching in order to focus more on his studies and other responsibilities.
I began the interview by asking Cooper how his lifestyle changed after football. He replied by saying time management was the biggest change he underwent in his transition from student-athlete. Cooper says he has no regrets with his choice to walk away from football, referring to it as perhaps “the best thing I ever did”. And although he chose not to return to the football program this past season, he was very proud of all that the Tigers accomplished. “I’m very proud of them. It makes me feel good about my time spent as a Clemson athlete."
Cooper earned a Bachelor’s degree in Community Recreation, Sport, and Camp Management from Clemson on May 12, 2012. He says now "... the first step is just getting a job… getting some place I feel comfortable and I like what I’m doing." Cooper says one day he may return to coaching, but currently he wants to “get my feet wet” and try out other possible careers.
To wrap up the interview I asked Cooper about some of his favorite things and he no doubt, answered with a few colorful responses. As I mentioned earlier, Cooper is a very charming and humorous individual. When I asked him to name some of his favorite things, with a huge smile he responded by saying, “I don’t have one favorite of anything.” Below is a short list of some of his many favorites.
Color: Black, White, and Yellow
Ice Cream Flavor: Vanilla and Cookies & Cream
Number: 11
Movie: Remember the Titans and The Titanic
Athlete: Brett Farve and Ray Lewis
Sport: Basketball
Check out the video below for the full interview!
Here's the link http://youtu.be/vUt1OLK3id4
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