Blackshirt Focused on Reaching Goals

Ira Cooper’s story is not that of the typical homegrown talent. The Omaha native’s interests did not always lie with football, nor was he always a Husker fan.

"When I was a little kid I always wanted to box," Cooper said.

His father, Harley, was a national Golden Gloves champion in 1964, and has remained active in the sport ever since. Because of his father’s involvement in the sport, Cooper grew up around boxing, serving as a glove boy for Midwest Golden Gloves events early in his life.

It was Harley Cooper who pushed his son away from the sport.

"My father convinced me that it is hard to make a living in boxing," Cooper said. "He always wanted me to get a good education, so he kept me in sports like basketball, football and track where I could earn a scholarship."

In the fourth grade, Cooper began playing football. He said he liked the contact and the physical and mental challenges it presented. In football, Cooper also found a means to earn that scholarship his father had always desired for him.

A two-time All-Nebraska selection at Westside High School, Cooper totaled 58 tackles, including 10 sacks and 10 other tackles for losses, and racked up 723 yards rushing during his senior campaign for Coach Larry Morrissey. In earning honorable-mention USA Today All-America honors, Cooper drew interest from a number of first-tier Division I schools. The only school Cooper desired to visit, however, was Nebraska.

Cooper wanted to stay close to home to afford him an opportunity to see his family regularly. Long-distance travel for all 14 of his older brothers and sisters and his more than 40 nieces and nephews was really out of the question. While his older brother Michael had found success playing for Iowa State, the opportunity to play within an hour of his hometown for a tradition-rich school like Nebraska was too much to pass up.

At Nebraska, Cooper quickly moved into a back-up role, gaining acclaim for his special teams efforts. Cooper also found successes in the classroom, accomplishing another feat his father had so desired for him when he graduated this past August with a degree in sociology.

This year, as a top reserve, the senior linebacker earned the mark of distinction on the Nebraska defense: a coveted Blackshirt. The significance of the accomplishment is not lost on Cooper.

"It feels great to earn a Blackshirt," Cooper said. "I have been here now for five years, and it is nice to go out on the field for my final year having already graduated in August and having earned my Blackshirt."

Cooper proved his worth in the season opener, as he led Nebraska with 12 tackles in his second career start. He also picked up his first career interception, which he returned 51 yards. For his effort, he was the team’s defensive player of the week and NU’s nominee for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.

"He was outstanding," Defensive Coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said of Cooper’s play against the Leathernecks. "He played an outstanding game. It wasn’t perfect, but he made a lot of plays and was very physical. He made a lot of big hits and he made a big-time play down on the goal line with that interception."

While his solid effort was memorable, Cooper’s greatest memory form the contest may be just getting a chance to start in front of 77,000 home fans.

"This was my first start at home and it felt like I played a good game," Cooper said. "It’s been hard not getting a lot of playing time in the past. It felt great to get a lot of playing time (Saturday)."

Cooper would like to see his Husker career end where it began, in a BCS bowl game. No matter what this year may hold, however, he will remain grateful for the opportunities he has had at the University of Nebraska and for those who have helped him along the way.

"I would like to thank my mom and dad, and my brothers Michael and Benno and all of my coaches at Nebraska for everything they have done for me."