Bama Central

The Extra Point: Lack of Effort? Are We Talking About the Same Amari Cooper?

There's no reason to believe that the Cowboys wide receiver due to make $20 million won't have another big season in Dallas.

Christopher Walsh

It's been a bit of a an odd offseason for former Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper. 

Then again, things are seldom dull with the Dallas Cowboys. 

Nevertheless, the man who has a five-year, $100 million contract, and will have a $20 million base salary this season, has been criticized by some about his slow recovery from surgery and even ripped by former Cowboys wide receiver Jimmy Smith. 

Speaking recently on FanSided’s The Matt Lombardo Show, Smith took aim by saying, “I just wish there was a little more effort on Amari Cooper’s part. He is a guy who is so talented, but the lack of effort really, really gets under my skin.''

Um, what?

Remember, Cooper used to be widely praised at Alabama for his work ethic, including by Nick Saban. He called it the key to the receiver winning the program's first Biletnikoff Award, in addition to being named a unanimous All-American and helping lead the Crimson Tide to a national championship.

This is also a guy who without quarterback Dak Prescott still had a team-leading 92 catches for 1,114 yards and five touchdowns last season, while not missing a start.  

According to CowboysSI.com, the team is monitoring Cooper's progress and a source has confirmed that it's not concerned about his situation.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said on June 9 that Cooper was “still working through” the ankle issue after he underwent a routine clean-up procedure in January.

Besides, there's nothing for him to prove in June. 

The source said Cooper is expected to full test the ankle and foot right around the time the team leaves for training camp on July 20. The first team workout is scheduled for two days later. 

The Extra Point is a regular weekday feature on BamaCentral, and often includes video and other elements from our FanNation partners. Other recent segments include:

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Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.