Football star Jonathan Cooper is versatile, possible NFL pick

Five years ago, Jonathan Cooper committed to the North Carolina football team.

There was very little buzz surrounding the commitment. After all, the Rivals.com three-star recruit was a relatively unknown member of former coach Butch Davis’ first complete signing class.

But on April 25th, the offensive guard and Outland trophy finalist will be in New York City, waiting for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to call his name from the podium.

After working out at the NFL combine a month ago, the graduating senior took to Navy Field for one last time with his teammates to work out in front of NFL scouts for UNC’s Pro Timing Day.

“I think I was pretty well prepared for it,” Cooper said. “It was pretty tiring, but I guess you’re never going to be in as good as shape as you can be.”

After excelling at the NFL combine — posting a 40-yard dash time of 5.07 seconds and getting a combine top performance of 35 repetitions on the bench press — Cooper decided against repeating the drills in Chapel Hill and instead opted to only participate in agility tests.

Though he typically lines up as an offensive guard, the scouts had him lining up at center, a position held by UNC’s Russell Bodine. But Cooper wasn’t worried about having to make the shift from guard to center.

“I feel comfortable being center, right guard, left guard,” he said. “I feel like regardless, they like the versatility since they only take seven linemen to the games that dress out.

“So if you can play multiple positions that helps myself out just as much as it helps the team.”

The hiring of coach Larry Fedora prior to the 2012 season has helped Cooper’s draft stock. Fedora’s high-octane style highlighted Cooper’s agility and quick feet.

“Coop was just fit for it completely,” Fedora aid. “He’s 295 pounds and he can run like the wind, if the wind can run at 295.”

Fedora believes he has a few former players that will be taken early in the NFL draft, and Cooper has the chance to be taken off the board first.

But Cooper realizes that in professional sports, his status could change in an instant.

“Nothing’s written in stone, so at any moment a team can like you or not like you,” Cooper said. “So I am excited for the potential to be drafted pretty high for my position.”

Though he only coached Cooper for one season, Fedora has seen him reach his maximum potential as a Tar Heel.

“It makes me proud for (Cooper) and his family to know that all the hard work he’s put into it, all his dreams are going to come true,” Fedora said.

“Obviously it helps us as a football team to see that Jonathan came in here, he was not a heavily recruited young man, he wasn’t a five-star athlete, and he turned himself into a first-round draft choice.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.