Even if Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones seems not to be fully aware, the Cleveland Browns know they got a great player in Amari Cooper.
Cooper, 27, is a solid performer, a good mentor, and an excellent teammate in the locker room.
He embodies the qualities the Browns need for their WR1 in 2022.
Jerry Jones says CeeDee Lamb is an upgrade over Amari Cooper as a No. 1 receiver. https://t.co/cV7GmwVk0f
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 27, 2022
Cooper is perceived to be reserved and quiet.
Because of this, we do not know quite as much about him.
Here are three things you likely never knew about him.
1. Comes From Humble Beginnings
Cooper has humble roots.
He was raised mainly by his mother who worked hard to provide for him and his four siblings.
The family could not afford a car so she walked miles to work and to the grocery store.
He excelled at football at Miami Northwestern High School, and his high school quarterback was Teddy Bridgewater.
After playing college football at the University of Alabama, Cooper was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
He repaid his gratitude to his mother by buying her a house and a car.
Former #Alabama All-American Amari Cooper (@AmariCooper9) purchases home and car for his mother! #RollTide pic.twitter.com/hpbiyrFbbA
— BamaOnLine (@BOL_On3) March 21, 2017
2. Made An Appearance on “Celebrity Family Feud”
While still with the Raiders, Cooper appeared on an NFL-themed episode of Celebrity Family Feud.
Host Steve Harvey had fun with Cooper when he went radio silent after hitting his buzzer.
Check out the clip.
Amari Cooper on Family Feud? Yeah, we gotta see this: https://t.co/UyAMpAl6pp pic.twitter.com/7j9GuDxEEc
— AL.com sports (@aldotcomSports) June 30, 2016
To be fair, Cooper was being a good teammate, per usual.
Brandon Marshall, a member of his celebrity “family”, urged him to buzz in so Cooper obliged.
3. Is An Avid Chess Player
It is not surprising that Cooper is a chess player.
Chess, like football, is strategic, but chess tends to be a quieter game.
That is mainly true except when Cooper played chess with Cowboys teammate Micah Parsons last season.
Parsons is competitive and loud, and he did not hesitate to share his excitement while videotaping himself beating Cooper in a chess game.
Come for Cowboys rookie LB @MicahhParsons11 beating Amari Cooper in chess, stay for Micah’s ruthless celebration at Coop’s expense 😅 pic.twitter.com/xFzxrUXnGK
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) June 10, 2021
Parsons did not catch Cooper off guard too many times at chess and expanded the pair’s competitive gaming into Connect 4.
Cowboys WR Amari Cooper nearly swept LB Micah Parsons in chess this spring. So Parsons brought a Connect 4 board to training camp. “Ask Amari what happened in Connect 4. I said, ‘You got chess right now, but Connect 4, I definitely got the upper hand.’”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) July 22, 2021
Cooper’s prior chess partner was Chidobe Awuzie who is now a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Who will Cooper enlist to be his chess partner in the Browns locker room?
Conclusion
Cooper is a guy that rarely elicits negativity.
He will need to have a huge year to lead this young wide receivers room that includes Donovan Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz, and rookie David Bell.
Fans are very excited to see Cooper in the orange and brown and in action at FirstEnergy Stadium this fall.
NEXT: 3 Weakest Position Groups For The Browns Heading Into Preseason
