Gordon Cooper (American football)
American football player and coach (1930–2022) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gordon Roger Cooper (April 1, 1930 – March 15, 2022) was an American football end and coach. He played college football for the Denver Pioneers, where he was the national receiving leader in 1950, and later was selected by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 1952 NFL draft. He was drafted to serve in the United States Army prior to the 1952 NFL season and suffered an injury when he returned to the team in 1954. After a brief stint with the Montreal Alouettes in 1955, he retired from playing and began a long career as a coach, starting with his alma mater, Denver, and then with Rifle High School from 1956 to 1987, where he coached multiple sports and was athletic director. He was inducted into the University of Denver Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.
![]() Cooper during his playing career, c. 1949–1951 | |
No. 99 | |
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Position: | End |
Personal information | |
Born: | (1930-04-01)April 1, 1930 McGill, Nevada, U.S. |
Died: | March 15, 2022(2022-03-15) (aged 91) Rifle, Colorado, U.S. |
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | White Pine (Ely, Nevada) |
College: | Denver (1948–1951) |
NFL draft: | 1952 / Round: 6 / Pick: 69 |
Career history | |
As a player: | |
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
As a coach: | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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