Every year we learn that the recruiting stars given to high school football players don’t mean much.
The latest case-and-point is Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who is probably still celebrating his Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award. As a senior at AC Davis High School in Yakima, Washington, Cooper wasn’t really thought of as a college football prospect, let alone a future Super Bowl MVP.
Kupp, who played football and basketball at Davis, wasn’t even offered a college football scholarship until after his senior football season was completed. That’s when Eastern Washington offered him an opportunity to play at the next level.
If you dig beneath the surface, you’ll find that Kupp has a pretty good pedigree. His grandfather, Jake Kupp, was a Pro Bowl offensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints in the 70’s. Cooper’s dad, Craig, was a backup quarterback for a couple of years with the Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys.
At Davis, Kupp was actually saluted for his talent as a defensive back. After his senior senior, Kupp was named first team Class 4A All-State as a DB. He was honorable mention as a receiver after 60 receptions for 1,059 yards (17.7 per catch) and 18 touchdowns.
For those wondering, the first team wide receivers were Michael Rector of Bellarmine Prep and Christian Gasca of Lake Stevens. Rector played at Stanford, while Gasca went to Central Washington.
17 Dec 2011, Sat The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) Newspapers.comRector did have a cup of tea with the Detroit Lions in their 2017 training camp before being waived.
Before leaving high school for Eastern Washington, Kupp showed his all-around skills by helping Davis to a Washington 4A state basketball championship. Kupp scored seven points in his team’s 48-42 win over Central Valley in the state championship game.
Below is a vintage clip of Kupp being interview after Davis won its state quarterfinal basketball game against Bothell.
After turning his focus to football at Eastern Washington, his trajectory toward a career in the National Football League began. He left EWU as the nation’s all-time leading receiver, at all levels, with 6,464 yards.
In the 2017 NFL Draft, Kupp proved all of those that overlooked him wrong when he was selected by the Rams in the third round.
