EXCLUSIVE: Jordan Cooper calls transfer to University of Houston a "Dream Come True"
HOUSTON - Jordan Cooper couldn't be happier to be home.
The former New Caney quarterback spent Thursday morning on campus at the University of Houston, which will be his new football home and with that be close to family again.
"I can't tell you how happy and excited I am to rep the city I grew up in," Cooper told VYPE in a phone interview. "It's literally a dream come true for me. I can go watch my boys at New Caney play, I can watch my brother play. I can go watch my other little brother play and I can support them 100 percent now. My parents, family and my friends can come watch me play. I'm repping the H on my back! It's a blessing."
I will be transferring to the University Of Houston to continue my Athletic and Academic career ✌🏽#gocoogs pic.twitter.com/nLiB6576Tk
— Jordan Cooper (@Jordancooper07) January 3, 2020
Coming out of New Caney, Cooper originally signed with the Naval Academy. After a year there, Cooper transferred to Langston University in Oklahoma, which is a part of the Sooner Athletic Conference.
After spending this past season there - during which he helped Langston win its third-straight conference title and was named the SAC Offensive Player of the Week once - an opportunity to come home was too good to pass up.
"I wanted to be home, I wanted to be closer to my family," Cooper said. "I wanted to be able to watch my brothers play ball. I'm a real big homebody."
Cooper has two younger brothers that are coming up through the New Caney football program. One will be a freshman next year, while Camron is entering his junior season and plays defensive end for the Eagles.
"I haven't watched a game of Camron's since middle school because I've been gone so much," Cooper said. "I've always dreamed to watch my brothers play on Friday nights. Camron, he's blossomed. He had an injury last year that set him back and he's worked his butt off to get where he is. He's showing out and I can't wait to see what the future holds for him."
Another neat connection for Cooper coming to Houston is getting the chance to play with a family member again.
Growing up, Cooper and cousin Grant Stuard, who starred at Oak Ridge High School and now on the defense for the Cougars', played Little League together. Their time together started at the South County Football League in The Woodlands, where they played for two years.
After going different ways, Cooper said they both talked about what it would be like to get to play together in college. And after a windy road, that day has come at the University of Houston.
"Whenever I went to the Navy, now we're playing against each other." Cooper, who is a Kinesiology major, said. "Then I went to Langston and I never thought I'd get the chance to play with him. Then I parted ways with them, he gave me a call and we are where we are now."
I'm still here.🐺 #LoneWolf pic.twitter.com/tVOpnEGzGv
— Jordan Cooper (@Jordancooper07) November 25, 2019
Cooper, who played quarterback at Navy and Langston, comes into Houston expecting to compete for that same job.
"Right now my film that they've watched is quarterback and that's how I got here," Cooper said. "So, right now my role is just to go in and play quarterback and see where it goes from there. I know it's going to be a battle. I know D'Eriq King is still there as of now. I know he's the guy, a flat-out player and all I can do is go in there and battle it out with some other great QBs that I know are there."
Walking into the University of Houston facilities, Cooper knows where he starts.
Being a transfer, he has to prove himself, Cooper said as he will start at the bottom, but that is a challenge that he is not only ready for but embraces.
"I love it," Cooper said. "My goal is to be of course be playing next year. But as of right now I've got to work and prove to them that I'm a player and I'm not just another transfer."
