Frosty’s Dad, Edgerrin Cooper, Emerges as Star for Packers

Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, a two-time NFC Defensive Player of the Week who grew up near New Orleans, is ready to face the Saints on Monday night.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper returns an interception at the Seattle Seahawks. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia called Edgerrin Cooper a “ball magnet” on Friday.

Well, that’s not what he calls Cooper.

“I call him Frosty,” Bisaccia said. “That’s kind of his nickname. You can ask him if he wants to tell you why.”

As Cooper walked to his locker after Saturday’s practice, the final one before Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints, reporters were eager for an explanation.

“It’s the name of my horse,” Cooper said. “Since I got here, he’s been naming me Frosty.”

Cooper grew up in Covington, La., where some of his childhood friends had horses. A second-round pick by the Packers in this year’s draft, Cooper bought a couple horses upon arriving in Green Bay.

“God blessed me in this position, so I was able to get my own,” he said.

For now, Frosty and Cinco are just pets.

“They’re all looking good in the front yard,” Cooper said.

There’s no time for horseback riding now. Not with the Packers looking to ride Cooper deep into the playoffs.

After missing three games with a hamstring injury, Cooper returned with a bang last week against Seattle. Officially, he had five tackles on defense, two tackles on special teams – three, Bisaccia was quick to correct – one sack, one interception and two passes defensed to win NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

The award has been handed out since 1984. Cooper became just the fifth player to win it twice as a rookie.

“There was a lot that was impressive about him,” defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “One, he hadn’t practiced very much, and he just makes a lot of splash plays. You see how fast he is. He’s a great tackler, he’s a great blitzer. He should’ve had two interceptions in the game.

“His ability to close – there was a screen that was thrown, he was like 8 yards away from it and, by the time the guy caught the ball, he was right there. He can eat up the grass really fast. Sometimes, he might not be in the right position, but he has that ability to make up for it. So, the more he learns and the better he gets, he’s going to get better and better and better.”

That’s Cooper’s goal. Even while playing only about 36 percent of the defensive snaps, he is the only rookie in the NFL with at least 30 tackles, one interception and one sack.

Cooper’s numbers are a lot better than that with 52 tackles, 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for losses and one interception.

“I just like to go out there and make big plays,” he said. “It’s just in me. I’m just trying to keep getting better and better every single day.”

Cooper’s big plays against the Seahawks were truly big. He had a third-down sack on the opening series, which helped set the stage for the Packers to take a quick 14-0 lead. His third-quarter hit on Geno Smith ended the veteran quarterback’s night. His fourth-quarter interception set up the offense for the clinching score.

“It’s a big accomplishment,” Cooper said. “It’s that simple (and) I keep saying it but I’m just here to play football, have fun out there and do what’s best for my team.”

Cooper was the first linebacker off the board in this year’s draft. The Packers held the 41st pick of the second round; they traded back four spots in a deal with the Saints and took Cooper with the 45th pick.

He looks like an incredible difference-maker and a building-block player.

Defensively, despite barely playing to start the season and then missing three games, he’s sixth on the team in tackles, fourth in sacks, tied for second in tackles for losses and tied for second in passes defensed.

“The guy’s just got the ability to eat up grass and run,” Hafley said. “The more he practices and he can stay healthy, he’s a guy you want to have on the field.”

The same goes for Bisaccia. According to his stats, Cooper is No. 1 on the team in special-teams tackles.

“He’s a ball magnet,” Bisaccia said. “That’s the best thing about him that I can say. Athletically, he does things that you really can’t teach.”

He showed that athleticism at Covington (La.) High School, where he played linebacker and running back and was a three-year letterwinner in basketball. He showed that athleticism at Texas A&M, as well, where he led the SEC in tackles for losses as an off-the-ball linebacker.

Covington is located about 40 miles north of New Orleans. So, naturally, Cooper grew up a Saints fan.

Not true, he said.

So, who did he cheer for as a kid?

“We played them last week,” he said to a laugh. Cooper was a fan of the “Legion of Boom”-era Seahawks, mentioning cornerback Richard Sherman and running back Marshawn Lynch as two of his favorite players.

Cooper said he wasn’t looking to prove a point, though.

“I’m just here doing my job for the people who wanted me,” he said.

Cooper said he got about 10 tickets for friends and family who made the trek to Green Bay for Monday night’s game.

“They ain’t ready for the cold,” he said.

The Packers will play the Saints on Monday – two days before Christmas.

What would be a merry Christmas?

“I’m happy always,” Cooper said with a big smile. “I’m a Green Bay Packer. That’s it.”

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